Website Manager

Grand Mesa

Baseball & Softball

Grand Mesa Baseball & Softball

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Chris Riley
President 2018-Present

Chris currently serves as President of Grand Mesa Little League, Grand Mesa Baseball & Softball Club, and Grand Mesa Babe Ruth. Under his leadership, Grand Mesa has experienced tremendous growth, revitalization, and community impact.

During his tenure, Chris has overseen the realignment of league boundaries to better reflect Grand Mesa’s historical roots. He led critical infrastructure upgrades—including the replacement of the backstop on Field 2 and the remodeling of the concession stand, Shirt Shack, and board/community room, installation of a new playground, restoration and lighting of the community batting cages —enhancing both the player and spectator experience.

Chris has also been instrumental in growing the league’s competitive programming and bringing back tournament-level play. In 2020, during one of the most challenging years for youth sports, Chris played a pivotal role in returning baseball and softball to the community. That same year, he launched the High School Baseball League, giving more than 100 high school athletes—who had lost their season due to the pandemic—a chance to play, free of charge.

In 2025, Chris’s long-standing vision for a safe, well-lit, and welcoming playground at the Grand Mesa facility became a reality, providing a space for young players and siblings to enjoy year-round.

Since 2021, Chris has also served as Head Coach of the Grand Mesa Senior All-Star Team, leading the team to three Colorado State Championships, including the most recent title in 2025.

Among his proudest achievements is the creation of the “Play It Forward” program—a mission-driven initiative that collects donated and grant-funded equipment to support players in need. Through coach recommendations and board observations, the program ensures kids have access to high-quality gear while maintaining dignity and pride. Since its launch, Play It Forward has secured over $100,000 in equipment grants, providing:

  • Over 200 pairs of cleats

  • 60+ softball fielding masks

  • Hundreds of batting helmets

  • Dozens of gloves, bats, and more

In recognition of his leadership and dedication, Chris was inducted into the Grand Mesa Legacy Garden in 2023.

Chris also contributes at the district level, serving as Umpire-in-Chief for Colorado District 1.




Dave Mantlo
Vice President
Director of Baseball/Softball Operations


Dave Mantlo has dedicated more than six decades of his life to Grand Mesa Little League and its players. His journey began unexpectedly—on a date with the young woman who would later become his wife, he was pulled into helping coach her brother’s team. From that moment on, Dave never left the field—and the rest, as they say, is history.

As a coach, Dave led Grand Mesa teams to four Colorado State Championships and two state runner-up finishes. During his long tenure as the league’s longest-serving President, Grand Mesa collected dozens of District and State titles, including its proudest achievement: sending the only Colorado team to ever reach a Little League World Series—the 2007 Junior Girls.

Dave’s unwavering commitment has been recognized by numerous organizations over the years:

  • Volunteer of the Year (2x) – Central High School

  • Volunteer of the Year – Bookcliff Middle School and Nisley Elementary

  • 1985 Volunteer of the Year – International Brotherhood of Trainmen, United Transportation Union

  • 1999 Inaugural Lions Club Home Town Hero Award recipient

  • 2008 Inductee – NJCAA JUCO Home Run Alley

  • 2013 Little League International Volunteer of the Year

  • 2020 Inductee – Grand Mesa Legacy Garden

  • 2023 Recipient – President’s Volunteer Service Award & Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, signed by President Joe Biden

In honor of his lifelong impact, Field 1 (the Junior/Senior Field) proudly bears his name. The Shirt Shack, one of his own ideas, is also named in his honor—and during the season, that’s where you’ll most likely find him, still serving the league with pride.

Dave is the proud father of five children and husband to Linda Mantlo, herself a former Grand Mesa President and longtime volunteer.

After multiple terms as President, Dave has continued to serve as Vice President of Grand Mesa Little League since 2018, remaining a steady and passionate force within the league.


Paul Young
Treasurer
Field Maintenance

Paul Young has spent the last 30 years as a volunteer at Grand Mesa.  Paul is a Grand Junction native, spending his entire life here in the valley.  He started volunteering while his son JT played at Grand Mesa.

The first three years that Paul served on the board, he was the Special Events Coordinator.  One day while his JT was playing in the minors division, Paul brought his dad to the game.  At that time, in the 90's, all of the walkways and spaces between the fields were pea gravel.  Paul's dad was in a wheelchair at the time and in Paul's view that experience was "not fun".  The next year Paul organized a fundraiser and sold Diners Club style cards raising about $6000 to be able to put the first cement path through the center of the park.

As the Special Events Coordinator Paul ran raffles, team parent meetings, score keepers clinics etc... Paul took over as Treasurer while still doing most of the Special Events and scheduling all of the games and practices for each field by hand.  

20 years ago, Paul became the Secretary and Treasurer for Colorado District 1, where he helped run 7 regional tournaments at Grand Mesa and where Paul personally cooked and served lunch every day to each team.

Paul followed JT when he went to Central High School (while still volunteering at GMLL) and joined the Booster Club.  Soon he became the Games Manager for them, running their BINGO sessions for 15 years.  During Paul's run, as the Games Manager he raised $1 Million dollars.

Paul has been named Grand Mesa Volunteer of the Year three different times, most recently in 2024.  Paul was inducted into the Grand Mesa Legacy Garden as part of its inaugural class in 2020.

After his retirement 2 years ago, Paul started helping out at the field by mowing the fields during the day.

Paul's hobbies include collecting coins and collecting and operating Lionel Electric Trains.


Amber Snoke
Secretary
Concessions Manager
Player Agent (Jr/Sr Baseball, Major Baseball, Minor Baseball)

Amber started volunteering for Grand Mesa when her son Riley and daughter Hannah came to play baseball and softball.  Riley has now aged out of the Little League program, but Amber remains as a valuable part of the Grand Mesa administrative team.  When Amber joined the board in 2017, she was convinced by Dave Mantlo and her friend Brittany (who also joined at that time) that being a member of the board would just be a one hour meeting once a month.  Amber initially assumed the Affadavit role on the board insuring that All-Star paperwork was done correctly and that players had all of the appropriate paperwork to be eligible.  Since then, Amber has made significant positive changes for concessions, returning it to profitability while still maintaining value to our members.  Amber also serves as the Player Agent for our Minor-Senior Baseball divisions, bringing issues to the attention of the President and Vice President as well as signing off on their All-Star eligibility.

Amber can be seen regularly in the concession stand, both teaching young people how to effectively work with people, managing our volunteer work force and insuring standards are met and costs are kept low.  Amber has been a pivotal part of working with Chris Riley and Dave Mantlo to make sure that at Grand Mesa kids and parents will never pay more than $1 for a hot dog or a bottle of water.

Amber and her husband Josh have two children.  They are avid Chicago Cubs fans.


Dana Palmer
All-Star Affidavits
Assistant District Administrator - Colorado District 1 Little League

Dana Palmer has been a long time volunteer, both with Grand Mesa Little League, and Little League in general. Dana has spent time volunteering at the district and league level over the last 40+ years.  Prior to stepping back to enjoy "retirement" as the Assistant District Administrator for Colorado District 1 (which includes current member leagues of Grand Mesa, Monument, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Delta, Three Rivers and Colorado River Valley Little League), Dana served for 15 years as the District Administrator.  Going back further Dana spent 25+ years with Grand Mesa working everything from concessions & field maintenance, to coaching, being a board member and a run as President.

Dana has Grand Mesa baseball in her blood.  Both her Father (Marvin) & Brothers (Dennis & Don) also served significant roles in the development and growth of the Grand Mesa Little League that exists today.  Marvin, Don & Dana were all inducted into the Grand Mesa Legacy Garden in 2020.  The softball field (Field 4) is named after Don Barnes and the T-Ball Field (Field 5) is named after Dana for their meaningful contributions to the league and its players.

Dana also has lengthy experience running baseball/softball tournaments.  Most recently Dana last ran the South West Region Little League Intermediate tournament held annually at Grand Mesa until its move to Houston, TX in 2019.  Dana has also run many district state and regional tournaments in her time as a volunteer.

For Dana, Little League is a family affair with her children and grandchildren all playing Little League.

While Dana's primary volunteer responsibilities currently are to the district as a whole, we will see Dana regularly at the park for anything from a Frito pie and a game, to around All-Star time helping make sure kids have all of the necessary documentation to be eligible for All-Star play.  We are grateful for her continued help and support.


Dominique Marinello
Player Agent (Jr/Sr Softball, Major Softball, Minor Softball)


Sarah Troublefield
Special Events Coordinator


Jonathon Troublefield
Member At-Large


Rebecca Bradley
Player Agent (T-Ball & Pee-Wee)


Andrew Bradley
Member At-Large


Kayleen Balsiger
Colorado District 1 District Administrator

Contact

Grand Mesa Baseball & Softball
518 28 3/4 Road 
Grand Junction, Colorado 81501

Email: [email protected]
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