Celebrating Our Members

Founder's Award

We are forever grateful to the members past and present who have stepped up to build the “BAJA family.” Each year the BAJA Board of Directors selects one person to honor and thank who has exemplified exceptional effort on behalf of our BAJA organization. The name of the person selected is engraved on the Founder’s Award plaque and is ceremoniously presented at the annual General Membership meeting. The recipient keeps the plaque to display in their home until the next year.

BAJA FOUNDER’S AWARD
KELLY, J. FAWCETT, I. ALLISON, J. CARR, C. CATINO, M. GREEN
Awarded in Recognition of Outstanding Service to the Community and to the
BAJA Organization

JIM REEDY
2021

CRAIG JACKSON
2022

ALAN CRAM
2023

BOB HOYLER
2024

GREG RAWLINGS
2025

Service Award

Each November, prior Service Award winners meet to select one club member who has demonstrated ‘above and beyond’ efforts to help spread the good name of BAJA both within the club and the community. The recipient receives this award for their prior year’s accomplishments. A beautiful red custom baseball shirt is ceremoniously presented at the annual Welcome Back Party. (Originally, 3 members were chosen each year by the Board of Directors.)

2012, Chuck Catino, Dave Hyslop, Jeanie McEldowney
2013, Gary Anderson, Lou Meier, Lu Smith
2014, Craig Burgess, Andy Lynch, Pam Welsch
2015, Dorie Carroll, Bob Epstein, Greg Pettet
2016, Susan Lynch
2017, Wally Towne
2018, Jim Brewer
2019, Donna Harrison
2020, Sandy Michaels
2021, Dave Erickson
2022, Ed Karnes
2023, Randy Drenning
2024, Mark Haskoe

John Cole 'Top Competitor' Award

As voted on by his peer as the player best demonstrating a true competitive spirit in the Ivan Allison Senior Softball League by his hustle, can-do-attitude, and willingness to do whatever it takes for help his team.

2019, Rick Hoen
2020, Ed Clark
2021, No Season
2022, Craig Jackson
2023, Danny Coleman
2024, Tim Ilse
2025, Rick Keagy
2026, Tom McKeon

Softball Player Memorial Sign

Beginning in 2013, BAJA began installing memorial benches at the Catino Softball Complex to honor deceased BAJA softball players who are remembered with a nameplate mounted on one of these benches. In 2026, Pima County Parks and Recreation replaced the old benches with sturdy new cement benches and installed a large blue metal sign behind to hold the memorial nameplates. As four BAJA members transferred the nameplates from the old benches to the new sign, we reflected on the many ways these beloved “BAJA family” members contributed to BAJA Sporting Club.

Naming Our Softball Leagues and Fields

Our BAJA softball leagues have been named after three exceptional members who were instrumental in advancing BAJA softball. When the first two fields were built in 2013 at the new Canoa Preserve Park, our club recognized the need to separate younger strong players from older players and took this opportunity to split into two leagues: the Recreation League and a more competitive league which was named the Allison League in honor of one of the Founders, Ivan Allison, whose passion was promoting organized softball for seniors. After Chuck Catino passed away in 2014, the Recreation League was renamed the Chuck Catino League. In 2018, long-time member Jim Hill organized a unique new league called the Spirit League. The league was renamed the Jim Hill Spirit League after his passing in 2019. These names reflect the lasting impact each man had on BAJA softball and the club’s growth. The fields themselves were named in their honor. The Chuck Catino Softball Complex was dedicated March 26th, 2013. Field 4 was dedicated the Jim Hill Field on January 3rd, 2022, while Field 1 was dedicated as the Ivan Allison Field on March 16, 2026. Below the snapshots of our field signs, please enjoy a brief summary of each man’s contributions to BAJA and how “our” fields became the best in Southern Arizona.

Ivan Allison

Ivan Allison, and his wife Barbara, originally from Michigan, purchased a home in Green Valley in 1996 where he rediscovered softball. He became passionately involved in developing senior softball in Southern AZ. He was an organizer and relentless recruiter, getting people to come play softball, even if a person said they didn’t play softball. Ivan gathered a group of like-minded people including Chuck Catino), and wanted to create a club so that people age 50 and older in the Green Valley Area would have a place to play softball. People often said about Ivan, “If something had to be done, Ivan didn’t wait until morning.” That year he played a key role in helping BAJA Sporting Club become an organization. He helped write the bylaws and worked to raise funds. Along with Ron Kopf, Ivan even bought BAJA’s first tractor (for $700) to help maintain the softball fields at Sahuarita Regional Park—beginning an important relationship with Pima County Parks and Recreation whereby it was understood that BAJA Sporting Club was a different kind of club that took pride in helping maintain the fields they use.

In 2003, Ivan revived the Tucson Showdown senior invitational tournament for men and women, and organized enough BAJA players to put a team into the tournament — https://seniorsoftball.com. He also organized a team of 65-year-old BAJA players to travel to tournaments in Phoenix, Las Cruces, and Yuma and more.

One of Ivan’s most passionate dreams was the creation of a new community four-flex of field—his “Field of Dreams.” When Ivan passed away, the family requested that donations be made, in lieu of flowers, to The Parklands Foundation, BAJA Project #137, in memory of Ivan Allison. They hoped that perhaps a structure, like a gazebo, might someday be built in his name as part of his memorial. Although Ivan passed away in 2011 before his dream could be realized, his good friend and co-founder, Chuck Catino, brought that dream to fruition, miraculously converting a rubble-filled pit into the best fields in Southern Arizona. In 2025 the BAJA Board of Directors voted to pursue the naming of Field 1 at the Canoa Preserve Park after Ivan. After approval by Ivan’s family, the Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Field 1 was dedicated the Ivan Allison Field on March 16th 2026, coinciding with BAJA’s 30th Anniversary. Born September 11, 1927, died July 31, 2011.

Chuck Catino

Originally from Illinois, Chuck came to Green Valley in 1996 and got involved with softball and met Ivan Allison. The two of them were a force to be reckoned with. They didn’t take “no” for an answer. Chuck joined in with Ivan’s dream to have a local softball 4-plex and was determined to make that dream come true even after Ivan passed in 2011.

Chuck called everyone “babe.” When staff in the Pima County offices saw him coming, they wanted to hide because they knew he wouldn’t leave without accomplishing the task he had come for. His mission to create that softball complex became urgent when in the summer of 2012, the Sahuarita School District agreed to give BAJA a substantial amount to go build their own fields so that the new Walden Grove High School could use the Sahuarita Regional Park fields. Chuck was determined to get BAJA our own softball fields in time for the 2013 Winter League that started the first week of January. Chuck was instrumental in securing the Canoa Preserve land to build a park and two softball fields. What Chuck loved most outside of his family is what is lovingly referred to as “The Fields of Dreams,” the Canoa Preserve Park .

For BAJA members, it was hard to imagine that Chuck Catino could create two softball fields out of a rugged gravel pit filled with trees and debris in a matter of months. With incredible drive and determination, he persuaded Caterpillar to train drivers to clear the land (a $900,000 in-kind donation). Over the next 2 months, that gravel pit of rubble turned into the most amazing state of the art softball fields. Standing on a fine red gravel infield surrounded by a lush green outfield, everyone was astonished and emotional on opening day when Chuck threw out the first pitch. Ivan and Chuck’s “Field of Dreams” came true and is named the Chuck Catino Softball Complex. Born December 24, 1935, Died October 27, 2014.

→ A note from Chuck

→ Chuck Catino Softball Complex link

Jim Hill

Jim Hill played ball with BAJA for many years. It was his life in his retired years. Many years, he was a team manager besides being a player. He began the fun practice of getting donated prizes to give away at our BAJA social events. Jim always had a smile on his face and offered helpful advice to those struggling with their batting or fielding. Jim loved BAJA and BAJA love Jim. In 2018, Jim created a relaxed and unique 6-person team rotation style of play and garnered three teams to play in what he called the Spirit League. A third of the players bat twice; a third play left field; a third play right field, rotate. It was a great success. Jim passed away in 2019. The Board of Directors voted to rename this league the Jim Hill Spirit League. The Hill Family recognized how much BAJA was like a family to their father and how much BAJA softball meant to him. They donated a substantial amount from his estate so that BAJA could move forward on its dream of building a third softball field at Canoa Preserve Park. As a result, BAJA Sporting Club was able to partner with Pima County Parks and Recreation to build the third field which was completed at end of 2021 and dedicated as the Jim Hill Field on January 3rd, 2022. Subsequently, years when there are enough players, the league will play regular senior softball with more relaxed rules with two teams.

GVNews.com/JimHill