ONEONTA, N.Y. – Hartwick College and the Hartwick College Athletic Department are excited to announce the return of softball to their collegiate sport offerings beginning as a club sport in 2023-24 and transitioning to a varsity sport for the 2024-25 academic year. Hartwick originally began the program in 1991-1992 in conjunction with the addition of Women's Volleyball but discontinued softball after the 2006 season.  

"We are very proud once again to offer our students this opportunity for athletic competition," said President Darren Reisberg. "It allows us to reaffirm our commitment to athletics and the enhancement of the student and student-athlete experience. It will also add vitality to our vibrant athletics program and help attract students interested in excelling in the classroom and the field of competition. And for our robust alumni base, give them another reason to join me in cheering on our Hawks!"

Softball has a strong track-record at Hartwick, with the program's most successful seasons taking place in 1998 and 1999 when the team made appearances in the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Tournament. Current Hartwick College Athletics Hall of Famer, Stephanie Winn '99, helped lead those two squads to a 45-30-1 overall record in two seasons.

"I have had several conversations with students over the last couple of years regarding the addition of softball to our intercollegiate sport offerings," commented Director of Athletics, John Czarnecki.  "We know there is a strong interest from current and incoming students so this is an easy decision for us as a department and institution.  I couldn't be more excited that softball is coming back to Hartwick!"

The Hawks will join all nine other schools in the Empire 8 in offering softball as a varsity sport.  The conference has a rich history of success in the region and on the national stage as St. John Fisher finished as the NCAA Division III Runner-Up in 2017. 

Empire 8 Commissioner, Chuck Mitrano remarked, "we are excited that Hartwick College is adding softball to its athletics offerings. Empire 8 Softball is competitive top to bottom and this move provides high quality competitive opportunities for the future Hawks and all our student-athletes."

The Athletic Department will begin a nation-wide search for its head coach at the end of April.  The new head coach will be responsible for coaching the club program during 2023-24, while recruiting prospective student-athletes to build the program's roster for varsity competition in the 2024-25 season.

HARTWICK COLLEGE
 
One of the oldest colleges in the country, Hartwick has continually evolved for 225 years. The College's exciting new chapter is called FlightPath, a future-focused approach to education. Offering a distinctive blend of curricular, co-curricular and real-world work experiences, FlightPath builds on Hartwick's long history of integrating broad-based studies with experiential learning.
 
Hartwick College is a nationally ranked independent college of the arts and sciences located in picturesque Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The College offers 35 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, two master's degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education. For more information, visit www.Hartwick.edu.