Pueblo softball HOF to induct six

April 2, 2020

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ORIGINAL STORY - by Jeff Letofsky

 

Falletta, James, Koschke, Santos, Snapp and Vanduvall to be recognized May 22, enshrined June 12

Six individuals who have impacted the Pueblo softball community will be inducted into the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame.

This year’s inductees include Pete Falletta, Mike “Corn” James, Christie (Zinanti) Koschke, Jerry Santos, Otto “Tink” Snapp and Shawn Vanduvall

In addition, the hall will recognize South High School’s Bella Archuletta as the top prep softball player from this past season.

The inductees will be recognized during an on-field presentation on May 22 at Bessemer Field during pregame festivities kicking off the annual Joel Santos Memorial Fast Pitch Tournament. They will be officially honored during the PSHOF banquet at 5:30 p.m. on June 12 at the Southern Colorado Gaming & Events Center

Tickets for the banquet go on sale May 22 at Big Daddy’s Sunset Bowl, 1227 S. Prairie Ave., or by contacting PSHOF Chairman Jack Krupka at 719-561-2994. Tickets are $30.00 and will not be available the evening of the banquet.

Here’s a capsulized look at each inductee:

Pete Falletta: The sport of softball has been an integral part of Falletta’s life for over five decades.

As a youngster, he began playing in the Old Timers Baseball Association at the age of 10. He and his friends played on the old City Park #2 dirt field, which is now where the tennis complex is located. Falletta would also participate in pickup softball games with older high school players at Bruner Park, using the trees as bases.

As an eighth grader at Keating Junior High School, he participated in the youth recreational league on the old shale field behind Central High School. As a member of the Kwik Way softball team under Coach Ricky Hill, the team went on to win the State Junior Softball Championship in their age division in the summer of 1961.

Immediately after graduation from Pueblo Central High School in 1965, Falletta and his friends formed a fast pitch team with Tastee-Freez as the sponsor and joined the Pueblo Softball Association (PSA) League. Additionally, you could find him playing on pick-up tournament teams at the El Rey Field, and the Independent League at Bessemer Park playing for Gil’s Place, and while working summers at the steel mill, playing in the C.F.& I. Local 2102 League.

A recipient of several all-tournament team selections and MVP awards, Falletta continued playing fast pitch for an additional decade.

In 1974, he moved on to the sport of slow pitch softball and played through the 16-inch era, transitioned to the 14-inch ball, and finally playing with the 12-inch game. Some of the notable teams during that era included NAPA/R&L Auto (with 2015 PSHOF inductee Jim Ranson), BMC, SportsMart, TACK Construction, and Swerdferger Construction.

His involvement as a player ended in 1987, but he was approached by Jack Krupka, along with Tony Bobian and Mike Sexton, to consider creating the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Falletta was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and recently into the Colorado

High School Activities Association Hall of Fame’s class of 2019.

 

 

Mike “Corn” James: James was the embodiment of an all-around Pueblo athlete.

He began his athletic career as a youth associated with Old Timers Baseball Association. At Roncalli High School for three years, he was an integral part of the football, basketball and baseball teams and their success.

His junior year, he was a member of the 1971 Roncalli state championship baseball teams, earning All-City and All-State honors. After transferring to Pueblo Central for his senior year (1971-72), he once again excelled in basketball and baseball.

James played first base and caught for the 1972 team that won a state championship. Once again, he earned All-City and All-State honors.

In the summers, he was part of American Legion teams that won three consecutive state championships from 1970-72.

His fast pitch softball career began in the C.F. & I. League and the El Rey leagues. He then moved into the Pueblo Slow Pitch Softball Association and was a star player on the infamous Clifton-Landrum team. During that period, his teams won four 16-inch slow pitch state championships, won two 14-inch slow-pitch state championships, won two 12-inch slow pitch state titles and and was victorious in one 14-inch National Slow-Pitch Tournament. He was selected a Golden Glove recipient and an All-Tournament selection in all those contests.

In 1986, the Pueblo Chieftain named him as the “Best Slow Pitch Player” in Pueblo.

His contributions are numerous as a basketball official, as a coach in the Father John Powers Basketball League and as a coach in the Pueblo Parks & Recreation Youth Basketball program.

James also has served as a volunteer instructor at the annual Runyon Field Spring Training Camp.

An electrician, he was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and was awarded the Jim Dilorio Memorial Award at the 40th annual Tony Andenucio Memorial Tournament this past year.

 

 

Christie (Zinanti) Koschke: The current head softball coach at

Colorado State University-Pueblo, Koschke is arguably the most prolific and successful softball player from Pueblo.

She began playing the game at age 5 in the City Youth Recreation League and started pitching at 7.

Over a nine-year span, Koschke advanced through the Rawlings Softball League under the tutelage of Coach Glenn “Gib” Saterlee (a 2012 inductee), who began coaching her at 8 years old.

Koschke was an NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick national champion.

She lettered in three sports at Pueblo West High School in basketball, golf and softball. Saterlee was her head coach.

Over a four-year span in softball, she was named to the all-South-Central League team four times and was the Colorado 4A pitcher of the year three times. She led the Cyclones to state championships in 2004 and 2005 and was named to the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News all-state team as the 4A player of the year.

Koschke also was named the Colorado Sportswomen of the Year in softball in 2004 and the Colorado Sportswomen of the Year as an all-around athlete in 2005.

She went on to play at Brigham Young University where she broke school records for career strikeouts with 427 and career wins with 51. Her final career record was 63-27, second all-time at BYU.

 

Gerald (Jerry) “Jay” Santos: Santos comes from a very well-known softball family. Along with his father, Joe and brothers Chris and Mike, they have kept the sport of fast pitch softball alive in the Steel City.

At age 10, Santos started playing fast pitch softball in the Pueblo Parks & Recreation Junior Softball Program. He played in three A.S.A. Junior National Tournaments and got a taste of national competition knowing that he wanted to play at the highest levels.

Santos and his brothers formed the Pueblo Bandits in 1988 and he would go on to play in 22 I.S.C. World Tournaments and has been the field manager of the Bandits the past three seasons.

The Pueblo Bandits have appeared in 25 I.S.C. World Tournaments, 24 of those consecutively, with two top-10 finishes. The 2020 season will mark the Pueblo Bandits 33rd season. The team has twice been named the “Best Dressed Team” of the I.S.C. World Tournament. With the decline of fast pitch softball around the country, Jerry and his family have worked very hard to consistently field a team of mostly Colorado players.

The Santos family, including their mother Fran, have made a mark on the sport of fast pitch softball in Pueblo for many years. They take pride in hosting the annual Joe Santos Memorial Tournament at Bessemer Park in honor of their father.

In 1995, Santos was selected to the North American Fast Pitch Association’s All-World team.

Santos is one of the most respected softball, baseball and basketball officials in the region. He also finds time to serve as the assigner for the Pueblo Basketball Officials Association and the Director of the Pueblo Sports Officials Association.

Santos will join his father Joe and his brother Chris as an honored inductee into the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.

 

Otto “Tink” Snapp (posthumously): A 1937 Centennial High School graduate, Snapp was an all-around athlete in baseball and softball and was an outstanding football and basketball official.

As an official for more than 20 years, he worked high school, junior college, college basketball and Amateur Athletic Union football games as well as numerous state championships.

In fast pitch softball, his Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 61 teams won three consecutive national championships from 1950-52. Hall of Fame inductee (2018) Bobby Pechek said in a 1989 Pueblo Chieftain article that “Those VFW teams could’ve beaten any team, past, present or future. You can believe that.”

Snapp was a well-known and respected banker in Pueblo and retired as Executive Vice President of Minnequa Bank in 1984. He also was a decorated veteran of the United States Army Air Force during World War II.

He was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 1976.

 

Shawn “Wolfie” Vanduvall: Born in Michigan but brought up in Pueblo since he was 1, Vanduvall played many sports but fell in love with the game of fast pitch softball.

He started playing at 10 in the Pueblo Parks and Recreation Junior Softball program and participated in three Amateur Softball Association Junior National tournaments.

Vanduvall broke into the Pueblo fast pitch softball scene through fellow hall of famer Jerry Santos, who started a team called the Pueblo Bandits. In its inaugural season, Vanduvall and the Bandits won the Colorado ASA Class C state tournament, advancing to the Class C Nationals in Kingman, Arizona.

In 1994, Vanduvall helped the Bandits qualify for their first ISC World Tournament in Prince Island, Canada. He has since played in 25 ISC World Tournaments, numerous ASA Major National tournaments and NAFA World Series.

He has received several individual awards including the NAFA All-World Team in 1995 and was named a First-team All-American in the 2009 ASA Major Nationals, landing the top hitter award. Also in 1995, he was named to the NAFA All-Decade team as an outfielder.

– - Compiled by Jeff Letofsky