Saratoga Catholic Hires Abby Arceneaux as Varsity Softball Coach

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic softball program will be led by a familiar face to Capital Region softball fans.

Abby Arceneaux, former head coach at The College of St. Rose and standout player at Mechanicville High School and Union College, has been announced as the next head coach of the Saints’ varsity softball team.

Arceneaux’s partner, Shea Bromirski, is head coach of the Saratoga Catholic varsity boys basketball team, and Arceneaux said she thought the school would be “a good fit.”

“I love how Coach (Alphonse) Lambert runs (things) as an athletic director,” said Arceneaux. “I saw that with Shea, and how he supported him and the student-athletes. … It was all about finding a good fit. I knew how much Shea enjoyed coaching there, and I really liked the girls I had spoken with.”

Arceneaux served as head coach at St. Rose from 2014 to 2022. Prior to starting her coaching career, Arceneaux was a standout as a player at Mechanicville High School and Union College. 

Arceneaux was twice named NYS Class C Player of the Year, and helped lead Mechanicville to three state championships. She finished her collegiate career as Union’s all-time leader in numerous categories, and has been inducted into the Mechanicville, Union College Athletics, and New York State Softball Halls of Fame, according to her bio on the St. Rose Athletics website.

She served as an assistant coach at Union and at Cornell University, and served as pitching coach at Siena College for three seasons prior to becoming head coach at St. Rose. 

Now, after a year away, Arceneaux has returned to coaching. But while she took a year off, she was still involved in the game, helping assist her father, Don Arceneaux, and Mechanicville varsity coach Jim Kenyon coach a travel team.

“It was really nice, taking a step back and watching a lot of games,” Arceneaux said. “You’re so used to being on the field, so taking a step back made me really appreciate (it), and kind of changed my mindset. It kind of filled my tank back up.”

The Saints have a young team, with the entire squad set to return in 2024 after they competed without any seniors on the roster this spring.

Arceneaux said she has already begun working with several players on the team, and as a former college coach, said she is also looking forward to assisting players with the recruiting process.

“One thing I’m really excited to bring to the table is guidance on the recruiting process, from beginning to end,” Arceneaux said. “In talking with their parents, I’m like, ‘Ask me as many questions as you want.’”

Arceneaux said she is excited to be “an asset” to the student-athletes in the recruitment process. Bromirski will also be working with Arceneaux as an assistant coach, she said.

“And not just for the softball girls, too. I understand that a lot of the softball players play multiple sports,” said Arceneaux. “Whatever they want to do at the next level, if any of them do, I’m going to be there to help them.”

Arceneaux said she has begun working to set up optional workouts for the program, and said the team’s goal is “to get better each day in practice.”

“If we’re going to get better each day in practice, we’re going to win more games,” said Arceneaux. “There’s a few seniors, I want to give them the best senior year that they can possibly have, while really building up the seventh and eighth-grade girls and all the returners for the varsity team.”

“As coaches, I’m confident that we’re going to give them the tools, the knowledge, and the skills, and help them get better, to do that,” Arceneaux added. “And they want it. The bunch that I’ve talked to, they want to win. They believe that we have a core that can really bring us there. Our goal is to win, but just be better. Every day, get better.”