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Local talent abundant for Pueblo's Spradley Collegians summer baseball team

BY JEFF LETOFSKY | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUN. 1, 2022

Buoyed by local talent, the Pueblo Spradley Collegians baseball team has high hopes for the 2022 summer season.

Led by head coach Tony Pechek, who enters his seventh season as the skipper, the collegians are loaded with talent from throughout the region.

"The purpose is to give the local and Southern Colorado kids a chance to play summer college baseball," Pechek said. "It's always fun getting to see these kids from the time they are young at Runyon to where they are now. I love being a part of that."

The local players include infielders Kyle Jamison, Brandon Martin, Trevor Thomas, outfielders Jayden Cordova, Ryan Downs, Brock Rodrigues, and Jeremiah Sanchez, catcher Justin Borden, pitchers AJ Cordova, Austin Martindale, Nick Parisi, and Zach Thomas, and utility player Louis Martinez.

In addition to the local players, a handful of Colorado State University Pueblo players are on the roster. They include Jamison, Rodrigues and Sanchez, Christian Castadena, and Zach Hannenberg.

Five local prep teams bow into postseason:Pueblo West, Pueblo County earn host berths, 2 other S-CL teams qualify for postseason baseball

"This group is going to have the ability to play defense well and use their speed on the bases to create some electric innings to score some runs," Pechek said. "Pitching is the thinnest we've ever had. We do have some quality arms and hopefully, they can eat up innings so we can have a successful summer.

Spradley's entire schedule, at this point, will be played at the Runyon Sports Complex in the Mile High Collegiate Baseball League. As the season unfolds, road games will be added depending on the availability of pitchers.

"It's cheaper for our opponents to come down here than to pay for umpires and facilities up north," Pechek said. "That's why we have all home games at this point.

"But we'll have some road games as the season goes on. It will all depend on our pitching staff, how many arms we have, and their ability to cover the innings we need."

Regardless, Pechek is excited to be able to coach many of the players he's coached in the past and inject the out-of-town players into the mix.

"We're semi-veteran heavy so we have players who know what to expect," Pechek said. "I've coached a lot of these kids before, so the personality and chemistry should be there for us."

The Pueblo club opens its season on Thursday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader against the NoCo Roughnecks on Hobbs Field. The highlight of the home schedule will be the annual Dollar Beer Night on June 15 which helps kick off the 42nd annual Tony Andenucio Memorial Baseball Tournament at Runyon.

Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter @jeffletofsky

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex Part IV

This is the fourth of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

Max Salas Field named after man who gave everything back to the players

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUL 15, 2018

Pueblo wasn't nicknamed the Steel City just because of the factories that surround the town. The name was earned because of the hard working individuals who worked in those mills and built the city from the ground up.

Nowadays, the steel industry is not quite the same, but that same blue-collar mentality is still alive in every person and every piece of Pueblo.

One of the strongest beams was Max Salas.

"The hardest working man on a baseball field I've ever seen and I've been in the business for 48 years," head CSU-Pueblo baseball coach Stan Sanchez said about Salas. "I've never seen a more driven individual to work with kids to get better."

Salas coached any child who had the slightest itch to play baseball and would work from sunup to sundown, as Sanchez described. On top of it, everything he did was done voluntarily. Salas never asked for any compensation.

However, the same could not be said at the Runyon Sports Complex when the idea of expanding came along in the early 2000s. Former general manager Dave Dudley described the process it took to try to receive grants from the county to help pay for new fields, attempts that started before he even took over in 2005.

With Dudley's help, the complex finally received some money to build and improve the complex. Salas Field was part of that expansion in 2007.

The hard work it took to finally complete the project could only be matched by the passion of Salas. Naming the field after him was a perfect fit.

"What he really did was just help a lot of kids," Dudley said. "He was just a guy that loved baseball and gave it all of his time. Never took a penny for any of it and just helped out, a labor of love."

When Sanchez first became the head coach of the revitalized CSU-Pueblo baseball program in 1994, one of the first people in line to help build the program was Salas. Observing Salas coach and push his players showed Sanchez just what kind of man he was dealing with.  

Through it all, Salas did it because he loved his home of Pueblo. Seeing a successful college baseball program in his town became his main objective. Assisting Sanchez, the ThunderWolves are one of the top programs in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and all of Division II.

"He was a very proud Pueblo man, he had this kind of this steel-man mentality," Sanchez said. "Heck, we were in the World Series in three years and a lot of it had to do with his drive to get our program on the map."

At the CSU-Pueblo Baseball and Softball Academy, Salas did some of his best work with players of all ages. Sanchez said Salas never turned anyone down, including any girl trying to learn the game or practice their softball skills.

Of course, accepting help from Salas was like signing into a full-time commitment. Some of the best coaches are the ones who push their players the hardest and Salas would do that for any player he came into contact with. He worked at any hour.

Expanding past baseball was not only a trait of Salas, but it has become a hallmark for the field named after him in 2008.

Originally the plan with Salas Field was to host Little League baseball games, specifically the 12-and-under division. However, high school softball was having a bit of an identity crisis and could not find a permanant home.

Teams switched back and forth between playing at City Park for home games to CSU-Pueblo's Rawlings Softball Complex.

With all the moving around and uncertainty as to where the high schools would play their fall season, Dudley and his crew at Runyon offered their fields for the Pueblo-area high schools. Starting in 2011, Runyon became the home field for every Pueblo high school softball team.

The move wasn't only good for the players and schools, but it had financial benefits for the district as well. Dudley described how softball at Runyon actually brings in more money (at the gate) than baseball.

The timing also was excellent for softball due to the increased costs of managing the fields. With youth baseball and softball increasing at Runyon, the infield grass on Corsentino, DiIorio and Salas fields were getting ripped apart faster than the grounds crew could put it back together.

Instead of continuing to pay for upkeep of grass, Dudley and the Runyon brass decided to remove it completely from all three fields. That opened the door for softball since grass infields are not part of the game.

"We couldn't keep the grass good anyway, it was getting bad," Dudley said. "Softball was kind of a warm welcome."

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"Having a field named after him, I would think he would be really humble about it and probably give everybody credit around him because that's the kind of man he was."
STAN SANCHEZ
CSU-PUEBLO HEAD BASEBALL COACH

Not to mention that Salas Field was farthest away from the center of the complex and getting access to hoses to wet down the field and other tasks was a hassle.

Putting in more work than expected was the way Salas lived his life. Sanchez touched on that when he spoke at the naming ceremony in 2008 reflecting on the life of his good friend.

"He was like another father to me, he took care of me and my family since I was from California and didn't know anybody," Sanchez said. "Having a field named after him, I would think he would be really humble about it and probably give everybody credit around him because that's the kind of man he was."

Salas passed away in 2007. Having his name displayed high above the diamond is more than just a few blue letters on a white sign. It means an opportunity for young players to become the best they can be.

"I think the field in Max's name, in my mind, is a field of opportunity for kids to get better through him and his name as far as what it takes to be a player," Sanchez said. "He represented Pueblo because obviously Pueblo is a blue-collar town and that was Max. I think his field kind of represents that."

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex Part V

This is the fifth of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

Pusedu Field was the last field built at the complex to serve the little guys, gals

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUL 21, 2018

No professional athlete has ever been born into a sport. They had to grow up and discover their passion for their craft and see if their love for the game outweighed the demanding tasks of the sport becoming their full-time job.

All of these athletic dreams had to start somewhere and for baseball and softball players in Pueblo, that fantasy is not stuck in the clouds of a dream. The Runyon Sports Complex is a place for them to uncover their passion for the game.

Maybe the jumping off point for any child in Pueblo has become Ray Pusedu Field at Runyon. It is where youngsters mold their craft playing 8-and-under baseball/softball and also 10-and-under softball.

Carving out the space between Hobbs and Andenucio fields wasn't always an easy task. Part of what led up to having the spot was clearing out some old benches from when Hobbs hosted minor league baseball.

"That (Ray Pusedu Field) was kind of my dream field. That piece of land was just sitting there not being used so we were able to take advantage of it and its been a great thing...I love that little field."
DAVE DUDLEY
FORMER RUNYON FIELD GENERAL MANAGER

One man who was at the forefront of making changes to Runyon, not only in the office, but to the actual physical complex, was Ray Pusedu.

Dudley described how Pusedu helped move out those bleachers and contributed to several projects during his tenure on the Runyon Field board.

"He had a lot of muscle to get some things done down here," Dudley said. "He did a lot of good down here, thus that's kind of why the field was named for him."

Pusedu had been around Runyon since before the place even became a complex. He started helping out when Hobbs was the only field there and Andenucio and Corsentino fields were parking lots.

Receiving the honor of having the field named after him was something Pusedu didn't want to take credit for. He deflected all praise to his fellow former board members and also spoke highly of the work being done now by Dudley and his crew.

As described in the Andenucio Field story a few weeks ago, Pusedu donated his time to helping create those two new fields. Whether it was mowing the grass with his own tractor or picking up rocks for three weeks, Pusedu wanted to help create something Pueblo could be proud of.

"When I go down there I'm amazed because when we were down there it was one field," Pusedu said. "That complex is as good as any in the country for kids."

Certainly the people of Pueblo have fallen in love with Runyon, which now has six fields. Pusedu Field was completed in 2012.

Almost every home high school baseball and softball game is held at the complex and summer tournaments bring in teams from across the nation.

Speaking of tournaments, Pusedu helps sponsor a tournament at his field held over Memorial Day weekend at Runyon every year. He gave money to the complex to help buy rings for the championship team, a glove for the best fielder and a bat for one of the top hitters.

"You can hear (people at Pusedu Field) hollering blocks and blocks away from excitement," Dudley said about the tournament. "It's pretty cool for the little guys. It makes you want to be little."

Added Pusedu: "My next door neighbor played (in the tournament) and his team won the tournament. He came running and jumped over my fence in the back yard and came running to show me his ring. They really think that's something."

As for the field, it is all turf, complementing the idea of teaching young players the right fundamentals. Dudley believes in the theory where players learn good habits due to bad hops, so a turf field is the perfect way to give the players good practice.

With the fence sitting at 125 feet in left and center fields and 120 feet in right field, the lofty goal of a hitting a home run is still very much in reach for the youngsters.

The shorter porch in right field was due to a road running behind the field, forcing a little bit shorter distance. Dudley said he and the builders threw around the idea of turning the right field fence into a "Green Monster," like Boston's famed wall, but the added costs of engineering a taller fence didn't make sense.

The field is a very unique place for the young players and it is cozy for teams coming from out of town to play in tournaments.

Dudley said they usually open the field for teams to take infield work during the busy tournament times. That allows teams an opportunity to take grounders or fly balls in a small space.

Fly balls are something fans need to be aware of at Pusedu Feld, however. Similarly to Corsentino Field, the bleachers are not around home plate like a normal field. Instead, they are placed in the outfield and down the foul lines.

Not only does it help with the philosophy of giving space for coaches to coach, but it is also necessary to avoid fans getting hit by foul balls from Hobbs or Andenucio fields. Dudley said they have to remind people quite a bit and it has become somewhat of a point of contention at times.

No matter what goes on outside of the fence, the mission is to give kids a place to play a game and inspire dreams.

"I think the people of Pueblo can be proud of (Runyon)," Pusedu said. "And it keeps a bunch of kids off the street and stuff. Instead of hanging out on the corner getting in trouble, they are down at Runyon staying out of it."

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex Part VI

This is the final part of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

If those bleachers could talk: The 80-year history of Hobbs Field

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUL 29, 2018

Sometimes the smallest of actions can create an immeasurable change. Lending your ear to listen to someone in pain or holding a door for someone with their hands full.

These small actions mostly go unnoticed, but they can change perspectives and give hope to individuals who received the gestures.

And one tiny change occurred in 1934 in Pueblo that would turn this city into the baseball-loving town that it has become. A group of Puebloans moved some bleachers over to an unnamed field to watch a game and now, 80 years later, that field has turned into one of the greatest sites for baseball in the entire country, and, more importantly, one of Pueblo's best places of community.

"These are the things that Hobbs brings to you, the history, the memories," former Runyon Sport Complex general manager Joe Latino said. "When I was kid playing ball in high school, playing at Hobbs and the memories in the summer of playing at Hobbs, those are the great things that bring the Pueblo lore."

Hobbs Field at the Runyon Sports Complex is one of the most historic spots in all of Pueblo. Following the movement of the bleachers in 1934, the field was officially established in 1938 as County Park and Babe Ruth famously played an exhibition game in the same year.

The game must have gone over well with the Bambino because the field received a minor league team three years later in 1941. They played one season before World War II broke out, but a Class A team would come back in 1948 for 11 years of ball in Pueblo.

Being an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, some legendary players made the trip through Pueblo like Sparky Anderson, Preston Ward, Roger Craig and even the famous manager Walter Alston, to name a few.

Several more bleachers were added around the field from the initial movement in 1934. The Pueblo Dodgers averaged a total of 92,000 fans a year for around 80 home games and drew over one million fans in the 11-year span under the Dodgers organization.

Before the league really started to get going though, Pueblo had its eyes on one of its own in the form of Damon Runyon. The sports reporter/playwrite grew up in the Steel City and covered sports across many Colorado newspapers, including The Pueblo Chieftain

His work eventually took him to New York where he covered the New York Giants baseball team and eventually started writing poems and plays, some of which appeared on Broadway.

"Back in the day, (Hobbs field) was an opportunity for us because of the fact we didn't have resources to go to games very often," Latino said. "Knowing the history of Damon Runyon and what he was and the fact that he was raised in Pueblo and ended up in the baseball writers hall of fame (gave us hope)."

Being an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, some legendary players made the trip through Pueblo like Sparky Anderson, Preston Ward, Roger Craig and even the famous manager Walter Alston, to name a few.

Several more bleachers were added around the field from the initial movement in 1934. The Pueblo Dodgers averaged a total of 92,000 fans a year for around 80 home games and drew over one million fans in the 11-year span under the Dodgers organization.

Before the league really started to get going though, Pueblo had its eyes on one of its own in the form of Damon Runyon. The sports reporter/playwrite grew up in the Steel City and covered sports across many Colorado newspapers, including The Pueblo Chieftain

His work eventually took him to New York where he covered the New York Giants baseball team and eventually started writing poems and plays, some of which appeared on Broadway.

"Back in the day, (Hobbs field) was an opportunity for us because of the fact we didn't have resources to go to games very often," Latino said. "Knowing the history of Damon Runyon and what he was and the fact that he was raised in Pueblo and ended up in the baseball writers hall of fame (gave us hope)."

Clearing out the minor league stands made way for the new direction of Runyon Field, which was to host numerous baseball events for Pueblo, specifically for children. National tournaments were held at Runyon in 1976 and 1991 as a part of Babe Ruth little leagues and the field became the home for every Pueblo team.

Hosting those events did not always mean profits though. Several times throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, the field faced the potential of being shut down. Every time that came up, however, the people of Pueblo stood up for the field and kept the mystique alive.

"It was mostly us kids, we walked around the neighborhood with cans collecting money to save the field, so it's been through a lot of steps," said Dave Dudley, former Runyon general manager.

Runyon could not be closed because of the way it has woven itself into the fabric of Pueblo's culture. Sitting in the bleachers around Hobbs Field is almost as big of a pastime as the game fans watch. One can't grow up in Pueblo without spending some time at Runyon watching a ball game because it is more than just that.

Those seats give a place for community to happen, for friends and family to unwind and connect over the course of seven or so innings. Even some of the biggest names in the sport have come by to take a seat, including the greats like Yogi Berra and Ernie Banks.

"I remember Tippy Martinez, who pitched for the Orioles, he was from La Junta and he beat the Boulder Collegians and I think he hit the home run that (won them the game)," Dudley describes as one of his best memories at Hobbs. "There is just so many things."

For the boys who played on it growing up, the field was their main stage and gave them a glimpse into what it took to be like one of the pro players who crossed those lines. And their families were always behind the fence to cheer them on.

"I think some of the great memories for me are when I was playing ball and my mother and father would come to game and I could hear my mom above everyone else cheering," Latino said. "Whether it was playing the game or having a hot dog and just talking. Those are the memories that mean a lot to me."

Not only has it become a beacon for Puebloans, but the entire complex is a home to some of the best youth baseball in the country.

The biggest example is the yearly Tony Andenucio Memorial Tournament, which brings in high school teams from all over the country. The 39th rendition took place in June and the tournament is held on Hobbs and Andenucio fields.

"These are the things that Hobbs brings to you, the history, the memories. When I was kid playing ball in high school, playing at Hobbs and the memories in the summer of playing at Hobbs, those are the great things that bring the Pueblo lore."
JOE LATINO
FORMER RUNYON GENERAL MANAGER

That could be what caused the right field wall to be double the height of the rest of the fence. Dudley said he was unsure as to why that was built that way. The wall is only 250 feet from home plate compared to the 270-foot dimension to left field side. The taller fence in right field made it tougher to hit home runs.

DiIorio Field also is the only field at the complex where the three outfield dimensions are different. Center field measures 290 feet while every other field has at least two dimensions that are the same.

Having a field built for just one or two divisions of baseball would be somewhat of a waste though, which is why the field has also become a softball hub in Pueblo. Along with Max Salas Field and Corsentino Field, they provide a haven for high school softball and host all Pueblo-area home games, except for Pueblo West.

The transition is simple as the grounds crew placeing portable fences across the outfield to match the 230-feet distance at Salas Field.

With the high school season set to begin in August, the field is just over a month away from beginning the fall season and once again welcome softball fans from around the city back to their gathering place at DiIorio Field.

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex Part III

This is the third of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

Jim DiIorio Field was named after a man who did things the right way

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUL 8, 2018

One of the toughest parts of being a parent is having to watch children grow up fast. They go from barely being able to hit a baseball off of a tee to knocking home runs over the fence in the blink of an eye.

Corsentino Field at the Runyon Sports Complex must have had this same emotional reaction since the amount of homers coming from their 12-and-under division seemed to be growing faster than the kids themselves. This was most likely a result from the recent switch in little leagues that the complex decided to make.

Babe Ruth Baseball was the league of choice used at Runyon and it called for a 46-foot difference from the mound to the plate, 60-foot base paths, smaller bats and no leading off on the bases. In the 1990s, the state of Colorado started to switch more to American Amateur Baseball Conference (AABC) style of leagues.

The distances increased to 50-foot mounds and 70-foot basepaths for 12-and-under and 10-feet more on each for the 14-and-under. Plus leading off was allowed. Corsentino Field simply could not hold that age group any longer.

"The kids loved it because they were never able to lead off base, they felt like they were playing real baseball," Dave Dudley, the former general manager of the complex, said. "Why teach them wrong and then go back and have to teach them right?"

"I remember one of the kids on my team when we were playing 12-and-under on Corsentino Field hit 42 home runs," Dudley said. "The field was too small. 12-year-olds outgrew it."

The solution was to build a new youth field with bigger dimensions to help keep more balls in the yard. Everyone loves the long ball, but the goal is to teach the children the roots of the game, which is why the field was named after a man who always put the young players first: Jim DiIorio.

Sports were always an important part of DiIorio's life, but according to his son Jimmy DiIorio, nothing was above "God, family and the youth." He moved to Pueblo from Italy when he was 6-years-old and fell in love with sports.

That was obvious to Jimmy after seeing his dad coach not only baseball, but basketball and soccer as well. He coached all three of his children as well -- Jimmy, Michelle and Steven. No matter what sport it was, DiIorio took it seriously and wanted the children to learn the game the right way.

"Playing the game the right way," Jimmy said on his dad's coaching style. "Holding your head up whether you won or lost, acting respectful. Just doing things the right way, without a doubt."

After teaching that philosophy for 15 years, the end came sooner than anyone expected. DiIorio was out of town with his team when he had a heart attack on the baseball diamond. It would later take his life in April 2001. He was only 45.

"I did not know him that well, I came to know more about him afterwards," Dudley said. "I knew him and he was just really a nice guy…He was just a great guy as far as taking kids and working with them."

Even from afar, it was easy to tell the love DiIorio had for helping the youth and that is why friends of his strongly advocated for his name to go on the second youth field at Runyon. The DiIorio family was honored to see so much support for a man who gave everything for his children and his "other children," as it was described in his obituary.

"I think he would be very humbled, partly embarrassed that they named it after him," Jimmy said. "He didn't do it for any glory or recoginition by any means. It was all about the kids."

The decision seemed pretty simple and DiIorio Field was officially named in 2001 following DiIorio's death, according to Jimmy.

As for the field itself, the diamond was first built in 1994 to give some of the older divisions a better and more fairer place to play. Construction seemed to be tricky for the field as the road to the second half of the parking lot at Runyon runs behind the field.

" I think he would be very humbled, partly embarrassed that they named it after him.He didn't do it for any glory or recoginition by any means. It was all about the kids."
JIMMY DiIORIO
JIM DiIORIO'S SON

That could be what caused the right field wall to be double the height of the rest of the fence. Dudley said he was unsure as to why that was built that way. The wall is only 250 feet from home plate compared to the 270-foot dimension to left field side. The taller fence in right field made it tougher to hit home runs.

DiIorio Field also is the only field at the complex where the three outfield dimensions are different. Center field measures 290 feet while every other field has at least two dimensions that are the same.

Having a field built for just one or two divisions of baseball would be somewhat of a waste though, which is why the field has also become a softball hub in Pueblo. Along with Max Salas Field and Corsentino Field, they provide a haven for high school softball and host all Pueblo-area home games, except for Pueblo West.

The transition is simple as the grounds crew placeing portable fences across the outfield to match the 230-feet distance at Salas Field.

With the high school season set to begin in August, the field is just over a month away from beginning the fall season and once again welcome softball fans from around the city back to their gathering place at DiIorio Field.

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex Part II

 This is the second of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUN 30, 2018

Normally, the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is reserved for being played at a ball game.

For Sam Corsentino, his love for baseball and softball had a much more meaningful impact on his life to which that song wasn't reserved for one location.

"I had the organist play 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' (as soon as the precession started)," Sam's daughter Mary Beth Corsentino said. "You could just hear people kind of like going 'awww.' Isn't that awesome? I get teary just thinking about it."

In 1958, baseball took a major blow in Pueblo as the Western League, a former minor league to the MLB, folded. The Pueblo Bruins, who called Runyon Field home, were one of the league members. They dissolved along with the league.

Without the financial backing of a professional team, money became tight around the complex. Sam would not allow for the place that had become his second home to go underground though.

His daughter described ways they found to cut down on some costs to keep the complex running like it always had. Sam would pick up rocks off the field himself after games, often times getting players from the participating teams to give him a hand.

The members of the Runyon board would take turns at the concession time to avoid having to pay for extra employees. Of course, plenty of other tasks to be done and Sam never shied away from doing it for the place he loved.

"Some of the coaches used to get mad at (Sam)," Mary Beth said. "He would try to save energy costs by turning the lights off if games went real late."

"Sam was in my position for quite a few years and ran a tight ship," former general manager of the Runyon Sports Complex Dave Dudley said. "We didn't have the financial backing at that time to do much and he made things work."

And he did primarily all of this work as an unpaid volunteer. Toward the end of his time with helping at Runyon he finally received some pay, but helping at the complex was never about dollar signs, just like most of his other work.

The World War II veteran was once named the District VI Commissioner of Babe Ruth Baseball's 16-18 year old division and served as Assistant State Commissioner for all of Colorado. Corsentino was a member of the Runyon board along with being the director and he also volunteered his time for 10 years helping people with special needs for Pueblo Diversified Industries.

Between all of that, he found a way to referee high school sports for more than 30 years, served three terms on Pueblo City Council, was a HARP Foundation contributor, ran his business "Bucky's" and helped fellow Italian-Americans in the Pueblo community. His love for Pueblo and its people was unquestionably big.

But Corsentino focused a majority of his attention to the children who called the first youth field built at Runyon home. Today, that same sacred diamond is named after the man who looked after it most.

"Sam was in my position for quite a few years and ran a tight ship. We didn't have the financial backing at that time to do much and he made things work."
DAVE DUDLEY
FORMER RUNYON SPORTS COMPLEX GENERAL MANAGER

Corsentino Field

Back in the day, the 200-foot dimensions across the entire outfield wall use to be deep enough for 12-and-under baseball to be played. Nowadays, those players have outgrown the field that was built in 1985 and have been moved to different fields. That allowed for 10-and-under baseball to move in while all levels of softball continued to play on the field.

The entire field used to be all natural until recently when the infield was replaced with turf. Dudley said the motivation behind the change was to give the growing players a chance to learn the game properly.

"I like the turf for (Corsentino)," Dudley said. "The little guys tend to make better habits by fielding off of turf rather than a place where there is maybe a rock or something that causes them to pull their head or something."

The most unique part about Corsentino Field though has nothing to do with the actual playing surface. Parents and fans must watch games from behind the outfield fence.

Part of the reason for placing the bleachers beyond the outfield was the location of the field. The diamond is squeezed between Andenucio and DiIorio fields. The lack of space prevented stands for spectators to be placed around the home plate area like normal layouts.

However, Corsentino and Dudley agreed that the bigger reason was to help the players. Often times parents can become a little too involved in their children's athletic growth. Keeping them in the outfield prevents that from occuring.

Dudley has seen players go to the on-deck circle and look for their parents in the crowd for advice, rather than listening to the coach hired to do the same job. That creates a hostile environment for the youngsters as they have to decide who to believe and trust.

"He had this other motive for it that you needed to let (the players) be little boys and little girls," Mary Beth said. "You can't put that kind of pressure on little kids."

None of the renovations and improvements at Runyon could have been possible without the help of a select few, one of which being Corsentino. That is why is in April of 2007 the decision was made to name the field in his honor and recognize the man forever.

Despite snowy conditions on that April day, Corsentino and his family insisted on having the ceremony. Corsentino was 88 at the time. He passed seven years later on Nov. 7, 2014.

"My uncle's only been gone a couple years, he died after my dad. Longevity reigns in my family." Mary Beth said. "That was his special place, so when they named the field after him, it was one of the highlights of his life."

Thanks to the longevity of Corsentino's contributions, boys and girls around all of Pueblo and Southern Colorado have the opportunity to make Corsentino Field their special place as well.

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"He had this other motive for it that you needed to let (the players) be little boys and girls. You can't put that kind of pressure on little kids."
MARY BETH CORSENTINO
SAM CORESNTINO'S DAUGHTER

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Inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex

 This is the first of a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the six fields at the Runyon Field Sports Complex. Chieftain sports writer Austin White will be providing a history of each field as well as how it was named and what events take place on each of the six fields at the complex during the year.

BY AUSTIN WHITE | The Pueblo Chieftain | JUN 24, 2018

Unlike the advice given in "Field of Dreams," building it does not always mean they will come. That was the problem faced by the Runyon Sports Complex back in 1997 when the park was beginning to wear down and threatening to be closed by the county.

At the time, the complex included Hobbs Field and a "Number 2" field to the west of it that was mostly run down and filled with garbage and rocks. A chain link fence indicated the home run wall and no lights adorned the field that was first "built" in 1985.

That "Number 2" eventually transformed into what fans know today as Andenucio Field.

In 1997, Mark Carmel was a county director and was recently named president of the Runyon Field board when the county decided to implement a more professional management style as opposed to volunteers running the show. Carmel helped put a board together that included almost every Pueblo sports organization that existed at the time.

"This was probably one of the greatest examples of a significant collaboration that occurred community wide," Carmel said. "We had a board of directors and an advisory board literally comprised of the people that were responsible for all of the recreation in this town."

A donation of $85,000 from Bob Rawlings, former publisher of The Pueblo Chieftain, was used to put in state-of-the-art lighting at the soon to be renamed "Number 2" field. During the field's makeover, Carmel reached out to the Andenucio family about putting Tony Andenucio's name on the field.

The family was delighted to have the potential of such an honor for not only Tony, but the entire family as well. The reason Tony was picked for the naming had everything to do with his baseball prowess in his hometown of Pueblo.

Andenucio earned a contract to play second base for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942. However, his time in the majors would be cut short as he was drafted by the U.S. Army later in 1942 and he served three years before being discharged in 1945.

The Nuch, his nickname since Andenucio is sort of a mouthful, returned home to Pueblo and started to compete in fast pitch softball. He played for Veterans of War Post 61 starting in 1948 and was named All-American VFW in 1949 and 1951. The 1949 season was almost glorious for the squad as they came up short in the national title game 1-0.

"He was roly-poly looking, but Tony was as fast as greased lightning," Rev. Fred Johnson, who played semipro ball with Nuch, said to the Greater Pueblo Sports Association. "And at the same time he was the longest hitter I ever played with."

Off the field, Andenucio ran "Tony's Cigar Store" which was labeled as "the meeting place for real men." The store sold not just tobacco products, but one could get a shoe shine, a haircut and hang around with a game of pool or poker.

Dave Socier, a former sports writer for The Pueblo Chieftain, said to the GPSA, "My prayer is that someday you grow to emulate Tony Andenucio as a ballplayer and as a man."

Flash back to 1997, 20 years after Andenucio's death, and the GPSA Hall of Famer would be immortalized at his hometown complex. But the field was still not quite up to standards.

Dave Dudley, former general manager of the Runyon Sports Complex, described how the field was filled with rocks and it used to be the parking spots for Hobbs Field before they started to string together the pieces of a field.

"To be honest, the place was a dump," Dudley said. "We're just lucky to have a place like this for our kids so we're really lucky in the long run."
DAVE DUDLEY
FORMER RUNYON SPORTS COMPLEX GENERAL MANAGER

With the lights in place though, the focus turned to fixing up the actual playing field which had been kept together by volunteers. One of them was Ray Pusedu, who helped create Andenucio Field by cutting the grass himself with his own tractor.

But like most industries and business, success is all about knowing the right people and having ample timing, all of which existed for the complex. Carmel brought in Mike and John Barnes as the first professional managers, around the same time the Colorado Rockies started to become bigger in the state.

The Runyon representatives met with field pros from the Rockies and learned how to better manage the field and where to get their supplies from as well.

"Our pros got with the Rockies field pros, we started sourcing material from the same place the Rockies source their material," Carmel said. "We rebuilt the field and got it up to snuff…This field has been a real high-caliber field almost from the onset after we made the decision to move forward with it as Andenucio Field."

Recently, the field underwent some touch ups with a new scoreboard about five years ago and awnings over the bleachers to help combat the heat. Trees were also planted to provide more shade and Dudley is happy about the impact those have made.

Today, Andenucio Field is home to all kinds of high school baseball games throughout the year. All of the Pueblo area schools are welcome to use the field for home games during their spring season, and fall and summer league teams play there as well.

The biggest draw every year, though, is the Tony Andenucio Memorial Tournament, a 12-team summer tournament that draws high school competition from across the country. Joe Andenucio, the son of Tony, is the director of the tournament that just put on the 39th installment a week ago with the Cheyenne Post 6 Sixers taking their second ever title at "The Nuch."

Football has even been played at Andenucio Field since the place was not really used once fall ball ended. Games took place there for a five-year span, but Dudley said they eventually stopped because the field would be torn apart too much for the grass to recover by spring.

And last Wednesday, Andenucio Field helped welcome in the next era of baseball in Pueblo by hosting an announcement conference to the public. Jeff Katofsky, owner of the Orem Owlz, along with several county members, took to a podium on Andenucio Field to display excitement and planning for a new downtown stadium to host the team, along with six more fields at Runyon.

Be on the lookout for the second season of inside Runyon when those six fields become a reality.

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Christie Koschke named Runyon Field general manager

BY JEFF LETOFSKY | The Pueblo Chieftain | JAN. 10, 2022

Breaking down barriers, Christie "Zinanti" Koschke is in a position to make a difference.

One of Pueblo's most feted women athletes, Koschke has been named the Runyon Sports Complex general manager, the first woman to hold the position.

What being a pioneer means
Growing up in Pueblo, Koschke knows the history of the Runyon Sports Complex and believes she can make a difference to continue to make it thrive.

"It's huge (being the first woman)," Koschke said. "I'm super excited for this opportunity to continue to push forward and have Runyon grow.

"I know I'm the right person for the job. I bring a little bit of youth and experience. I've been playing softball for years and have been around baseball. I bring a new outlook and definitely don't want to fix what's not broken."

Taking on the Runyon challenge
There are a number of priorities for Koschke and her staff to dive headlong into immediately.

"We want to continue to do improvements on the fields and we're looking forward to the master plan for the complex," she said. "Hobbs (Field) needs some love and that's our first priority.

"We want to continue to make Runyon a place for kids to grow up in and call their own."

Koschke also mentioned she would like to bring in bigger and better baseball and softball tournaments to go along with the tournaments already in place.

She understands that the complex hosts thousands of young baseball and softball players and that will continue to be the goal.

In addition, Koschke wants to take advantage of social media and use it to get information out to parents and players.

"We want people to get to know Runyon on social media," she said. "We want to get that aspect out there to show what we offer here.

"That's what I'm here for. We want to get more exposure for the youth with our leagues and tournaments."

Koschke's athletic history
A Pueblo native, Koschke was recently inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame. Previously, she was inducted into the Pueblo West High School hall of fame.

Koschke's athletic achievements speak for themselves.

Koschke embraces her teammate while celebrating a state title. The Cyclones softball team was the first to earn a team title for Pueblo West in 2004.
She was a three-sport standout at Pueblo West in softball, basketball and golf. She led the Cyclones to back-to-back state softball championships in 2004 and 2005 as a pitcher, being named the Colorado high school pitcher and player of the year as well as the Class 4A most valuable player by a number of publications.

Koschke went on to attend Brigham Young University where she helped the Cougars to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Super Regionals.

She finished her career with 63 wins in the circle, second-most in BYU history and was honored as a first-team all-Mountain West Conference pitcher, the MWC Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and first-team all-region selection.

Moving on professionally
After graduating from BYU in 2011 with her bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Koschke became the assistant coach at New Mexico Highlands University. She helped coach a greatly improved pitching staff that turned in the most wins in program history. While at Highlands, Koschke received her master’s degree in human performance and sport with an emphasis in sports administration.

Koschke returned home in 2012, becoming the fifth head softball coach in school history for Colorado State University Pueblo. As head coach, Koschke became the second-winningest coach in school history and amassed one All-American Honorable Mention, one first-team All-Region, two Academic All-Americans, two academic All-Regions, one RMAC Player of the Year, one RMAC Freshman of the Year, 26 All-RMAC picks, two RMAC Gold Gloves, and 64 RMAC All-Academic recipients.

Koschke and her husband Josh, CSU Pueblo Director of Golf, reside in Pueblo and have one son, Nolan and a daughter, Palmer.

Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter @jeffletofsky