New Paltz, NY — Longtime assistant, Rick Spriggs, was named as the State University of New York New Paltz Softball Interim Head Coach ahead of the 2025 season.
 
Spriggs spent the last four seasons as the lead assistant to former coach Krysti Neufeldt and during his tenure, the team has had unprecedented success with a winning percentage of .676 going 100-48 in that span. Along with Neufeldt, Spriggs was honored as the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the program to its second-straight regular season title and first ever SUNYAC Championship in 2024.
 
"We are promoting assistant coach Rick Spriggs to Interim head coach to keep the ship moving as he's been a part of the process and the success of this program for the last several years," said SUNY New Paltz Director of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation Renee Bostic early this year.
 
Additionally, Spriggs was a part of the staff that earned SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2023, which was the first in program history.
 
Last year, the team had the best season to date, going 36-8 and earning an automatic bid for its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament where the Hawks won one game against Centenary. SUNY New Paltz graduated seven from last year's squad, but return last year's All-SUNYAC selections Jackie Rometo, Sydney Waldon and Kelsey O'Brien and bring in a talented freshmen class to add depth for a potential back-to-back conference title run.
 
"We have some pretty special returning players who are now a year more experienced and lived a great season in 2024," Spriggs said. "We remain a very deep team and those who will need to fill the roles that were opened from last year's departures have an incredible work ethic, talent and 'next one up' mentality. They worked hard knowing their roles were minimized some last year but are working even harder now that it's their opportunity.

 
"We also have a very talented freshman class who have already shown they have the ability to contribute right away. This group knows not to take anything for granted. To repeat in this conference is always difficult. To have that outcome become a reality again, we need to go game by game and everyone needs to be better than they were the day before all season. If that happens, I like our chances as anyone's."
 
Neufeldt stepped down this past September after accepting the head coaching position at Randolph Macon with Spriggs being promoted to interim as he led the team through their fall ball season.
 
"When we all heard about Krysti's decision to move on I feel we all felt that sense of loss and natural nervousness about what's next," Spriggs said. "As we went through the fall, we tried to remember that although she was gone, the rest of us are still the same people, players and coaches. Where the excitement grew was when we got deeper into our work together. That experience of what we lived last season and how high we were able to go was something everybody remembered and became rededicated to having a chance to feel again. We saw and I think truly believe we have the right mentality and ability to keep competing at as a high a level as we can reach. I saw them all realizing what we have this season remains a pretty good thing."
 
Along with the promotion of Spriggs, the Hawks' coaching staff is rounded out by two former standout Division-I softball players in Jessica Chilcott and Alayna Savaglio. Chilcott joined SUNY New Paltz this fall after suiting up for the Iona Gaels for the past five seasons, while Savaglio will start ahead of the spring 2025 campaign and will work with the team's pitching staff. Savaglio played four seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
"What I see mostly is two ladies who have 'been there done that.' They bring credibility mainly," said Spriggs. "Players will play for coaches who they can relate to, and they believe in, confident Jess and Alayna will be that for these players. Known both for some time now and they have both grown into mature and respectful people. They love the game of softball. Neither of them thinks they know it all because they were great players and want to become the best coaches they can be."  
Chilcott will work primarily with the outfielder's and catchers, along with serving as the team's hitting coach this spring. While at Iona, where she earned her master's in special education and literacy in 2023, she was named as a three-time First-Team All-MACC, along with earning MAAC Player of the Year honors in 2021. She finished her career batting .300 with a slugging percentage of .522 and a .391 on-base percentage with 166 hits, 39 doubles, 26 home runs and 100 RBI.
 
Chilcott played locally at Kingston High School where she was a three-year varsity starter and a two-time All-New York State selection.
 
Savaglio, meanwhile, spent four seasons with the Knights before graduating in 2023 with a degree in sports administration. At Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Minisink Valley alumna (where she was also an All-New York State selection during her time) was a three-time All-NEC selection and finished her career ranked first in program history in single season strikeouts (188), games started in a season (25), consecutive scoreless innings (26) and career strikeouts (535). She's second in career wins (30) and third in career ERA (3.14), career starts (65) and career shutouts (6).
 
"Not only did they achieve reaching the pinnacle by becoming Division I players, but they were both highly decorated at their respective schools," Spriggs added. "They are humble and have no ego regarding their accomplishments. They bring that youthful but still knowledgeable presence to practice and I'm sure they will [bring the same] to the dugout during games. Each was proficient at different skill sets, which helps instructionally. I already know they will bring objective and well thought out opinions, and their energy will always be high level."
 
The Hawks open up their 2025 campaign on the road Feb. 28 for a doubleheader against Rutgers-Camden starting at 4 p.m. To view the full 2025 schedule, click here.  

 
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