BAJA players: Front row (left to right): Dave Hyslop, Dave Erickson, Lu Smith; middle row (left to right): Daryl Ragan, Mic Innachinno, Owen Decker; back row (left to right): Kurt Kohler, Greg Endow, Tony Gennaro, Jim Avent, Stan Herum, Jack Slama; not pictured: Mike Fox, Tom McKeon, Sonny LaPointe, Jeff Hansen, John Houghton
Jack Slama
Miken, Easton, Dudley, Sun Coast, Demarini, Trump, Baden, Thunder. Know where this is going? What if I said Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, Wilson A2000, and Mizuno? Any of these names resonate with you? If so, I think you know where this is going. If not, please keep reading.
For those of us who live in Quail Creek, we have many opportunities to participate in a variety of activities, such as golf, pickleball, swimming, and more. For some QC residents, that just isn’t enough. Softball is where it’s at. Seventeen QC residents currently play alongside 140 other ball players in the BAJA Senior Softball League here in Green Valley, and you’re invited to join them.
For a time, no one in Sahuarita and Green Valley offered organized slow-pitch softball for seniors. That all changed in 1996, thanks to the efforts of Chuck Catino and a few of his closest friends. At the time, they regularly played softball wherever they could find a field. It wouldn’t take long, as the message got out that they needed more room, more structure, and an organization to run it. In March 1998, the BAJA Sporting Club was formally announced, and through the efforts of Chuck and other ballplayers who shared his passion, along with substantial financial help from several Green Valley area businesses and Pima County’s major commitment to see it happen, fundraising began. Ultimately, the Chuck Catino Softball Complex was completed and dedicated in March of 2014.
Today, BAJA softball attracts players from all over Southern Arizona. Although the height of the season takes place from January through March, off-season leagues run year-round. And for those diehards who can’t get enough of league play, practices are held throughout the year on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.
BAJA softball is always looking for new talent, and it’s apparent that Quail Creek is home to many residents with active lifestyles and athletic backgrounds. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience or haven’t played in many years, there is a league for you. Senior softball is for players older than 50, men and women alike. Beginning with the Spirit League where it’s important to have a good time and winning isn’t quite as important, to the Catino League, which is highly competitive and where wins and losses are still important, to the Allison League where you find top athletes who still possess strong athletic ability, you’ll find a league that will test your skill set.
With the onset of each new season, interested players are asked to sign up ahead of time and declare in which league they prefer to play. Once the list of names is complete, it is presented to the appropriate league commissioner, and he/she oversees a draft whereby managers for each team select players. Teams are then announced, and games commence almost immediately. Historically, over 10 weeks, a 40-game schedule is played.
BAJA softball is part of BAJA Sporting Club, Inc. (BSCI), which offers, in addition to softball, bowling, golf, and a variety of social events. BSCI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) and is funded through annual memberships and player fees totaling not more than $75 per year per person. With the exception of team sponsors from within our community, BAJA is totally self-funded.
If you have any questions, please call Jack Slama, BAJA softball commissioner, at 253-888-6521 or you can email [email protected] or visit the BAJA Sporting Club, Inc., website at www.bajasportingclub.org for more information. If you’d like to take a drive and see the complex, it’s located at the Canoa Reserve Park, 3500 S. Camino de la Canoa, Green Valley, AZ 85614, just off Whitehouse Canyon Road. Now, come join us. You won’t be disappointed.