New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team posted a record breaking season one year ago — the best ever overall record at 31-13; the best ever SUNYAC mark of 16-2; earning their fourth straight trip to the SUNYAC postseason tournament; clinching the top seed and hosting the SUNYAC tournament; their second straight tournament semifinal appearance; and a final ranking of sixth in NCAA DIII Region III.
 
Now in 2024, the Hawks hope to build on that success as they have a challenging 40 game schedule awaiting them. Sixteen of the 25 teams they will face appeared in their respective conference tournaments a year ago; four won their conference championship, with those four appearing in the NCAA DIII national championship tournament and one reaching the NCAA DIII final.
 
SUNY New Paltz, which opens the season March 8, will not see the friendly confines of Mary Gray Deane Field until a month later, playing its first 20 games on the road.
 
The Hawks open at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic in Cary, NC, facing Elmira College and North Carolina Wesleyan March 8; regionally number one ranked Randolph-Macon (VA), then William Peace University (NC) on March 9; followed on March 10 by the University of Lynchburg (VA) and Randolph College (VA). The next weekend sees SUNY New Paltz in Salisbury, MD at the Margie Knight Tournament, taking on regionally ranked Manhattanville College and Muhlenberg College March 16, then follow on Sunday against NYU and DIII's second ranked team, host Salisbury State University.
 
The weekend of March 23 and 24 has the Hawks playing doubleheaders at Rutgers-Camden University on Saturday, then Widener University (PA) on Sunday. On Wednesday, March 27 SUNY New Paltz travels to Long Island to face Farmingdale State in a doubleheader, then travels north to Saratoga Springs to face Skidmore College in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 29. The Hawks close out their extended road trip with a doubleheader against Hudson Valley rival Mt. St. Mary College on April 3.
 
Finally home the weekend of April 5-6, the Hawks open their 2024 SUNYAC account hosting regionally ranked SUNY Cortland for a doubleheader on Friday; then host SUNY Oswego for a doubleheader on Saturday before continuing their home stand with a Saturday, April 13 doubleheader against Catskill Cup rival SUNY Oneonta, followed by a home doubleheader against Russell Sage on Wednesday, April 17.