By Emma Bynes
@emma_bynes4
There are big shoes to fill on Diane L. Potter Field. Springfield College softball has a “new” head coach, new captains and a new season underway in 2026. Although head coach Sam Garcia is in her first official season as the leader of the Pride, she had a trial run last year as the acting head coach despite still being a graduate assistant, in the absence of former coach Kate Bowen. Garcia feels a weight off her shoulders with the official title, as well as the relief of being able to focus on coaching.
“I definitely have a lot more confidence coming into this year,” Garcia said.
After making an albeit surprising at-large run into the NCAA tournament last year, Springfield’s loss in NEWMAC tournament play and in the first round of the national championship left it wanting more.
“This team wants to win more than ever,” Garcia said. “I think last year was a great starting point for us. They’re really invigorated, putting their heads down and putting all the work in since the fall.”
With a significant portion of last year’s starting lineup returning the Pride have clear cut goals for the season — this time led by captains Kate Katsetos and Taylor Falotico. In Katsetos’ case, the choice was obvious. The senior is one of the most vocal leaders on this roster, but her impact of producing runs last season led her to rank second on the team in that category, as well as starting in every game of the Pride’s 2025 campaign. For Falotico, who has only appeared in 26 games for the Pride in three years, the selection lies in her motivation to succeed.
“[Falotico] loves the game of softball,” Garcia said. “She’s continuously looking to get one percent better. How can you not want all of your underclassmen to follow suit? It’s really a testament to her because our captains are voted by the team — not by the coaching staff.”
The softball team opened their season over the weekend with a double header split against No. 22 Williams, already certifying Springfield’s ability to compete against top competition in the nation. In the next week, they’ll travel to Florida for the Pride’s annual spring break trip. The trip affords them an opportunity to face competition from all parts of the country. The highlight of the packed Florida schedule will certainly be Springfield’s matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Warhawks are currently ranked No. 13 in the country.
Upon returning from spring break, a difficult schedule awaits the Pride. They start off the second stretch of spring with a slate against Eastern Connecticut State University, who has a formidable roster and also appeared in the NCAA tournament last season. Springfield will close its season with a large amount of NEWMAC competition including challenging teams like MIT, Babson and WPI, and only a few out of conference tilts against Western New England, Amherst and Manhattanville.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics