By Jim Hintelmann
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP – When Middletown South’s softball season came to an end with a 6-2 upset loss to Steinert in the NJSIAA Group III state championship game last Saturday, it also marked the end of a long and successful 35 year career for Tom Erbig as South varsity softball coach.
“I felt that it was time for someone else to take the job,” said Erbig, who currently holds the state high school softball coaching record with a 743-231-1 record. He broke the mark early this season when he passed the 722 coaching wins of Hunterdon Central coach Pete Frick.
“I wanted to spend more time with my family,” he said. “My daughter is expecting, and currently lives in Boston, but I still have a lot of hobbies.”
South, the top seeded team in Group III, never led in the loss to Steinert and was hurt by five errors, but it still finished with a 26-5 record.
For his career, Erbig won five state softball championships with the last one coming a year ago. He also coached in nine state title games overall and won 16 sectional titles.
“I enjoyed my time at Middletown South, said Erbig. “We have a great softball program here. I had retired from teaching this year and I thought that this would be the time to step down and let someone else take over.”
Erbig didn’t want to say which one of his state championship teams was his most memorable.
“All of them had different meanings for those kids,” he said. “Each one was special and I couldn’t pick out any one of them.”
Erbig also didn’t single out what was his best overall team.
“I couldn’t select one team over the other in my 35 years” said Erbig. “There were so many great teams and moments. It was so much fun to be a coach of these girls even in the years when we didn’t have the top talent.”
Although not winning a state title this year, Erbig’s final team did have two standout players in pitcher Maddie McMahon and leadoff batter Clara Sullivan.
“We had six senior starters,” Erbig said. “McMahon (with 26 wins) has been dominant for us and one of the best pitchers I have ever coached.
“Sullivan broke the state record for home runs with 16,” Erbig added. “She was recognized in Sports Illustrated’s ‘Faces in the Crowd’ a few weeks ago. She also holds the school record for career home runs despite playing only two years.”
Erbig wasn’t just a softball coach at South as he was head coach in wrestling from 1985 to 1997. One of his wrestlers, Glenn Pritzlaff, was a three-time state champion in his weight class.
Erbig also coached field hockey for three years and did some time as an assistant football coach.
This article was originally published in the June 16-23, 2016 edition of the Two River Times newspaper.
