Gilbert Mesa has been chosen as the 2024 Clifton Festival of Lights Grand Marshal. This honor is bestowed on an individual who, over a lifetime has made significant contributions to the community as a whole. We are honored to have Mr. Mesa join the ranks of Clifton’s finest.
Mr. Mesa’s remarkable contributions to the community through sports and education have been truly inspiring. He has positively impacted the lives of numerous young individuals, offering them words of encouragement, in his special style with pride, and dignity. His exceptional talent in baseball led to a full athletic scholarship at Eastern Arizona College, where he excelled as a two-year starter. Continuing his educational journey, Mr. Mesa attended Pima Community College where he was instrumental in starting their baseball program, and finally, earned a BS in Education in 1977 from the University of Arizona. He dedicated 32 years of service as a Clifton baseball coach, athletic director, and educator. His outstanding achievements have rightfully earned him a place in the Pueblo and Arizona baseball Coaches Halls of Fame, and he was honored with the naming of the Clifton baseball stadium after him in recognition of his unwavering dedication to both the community and the sport.
Individual Honors:
• 1962 1st Freshman to throw a no-hitter in Pueblo history
• 1965 Inducted into Pueblo Hall of Fame as a pitcher
• 1966 Honorable Mention All-City- Arizona Daily Star Newspaper
• Member of Pueblo High School Basketball team state playoffs
• 1967 1st Team All=City- Arizona Daily Star
• 1967 Honorable Mention All-State- Arizona Republic Newspaper, Phoenix, AZ Team Honors Eastern Arizona College, Thatcher, AZ
• 1968-1971 Two-year starter and Two-year letterman as a baseball team member.
• Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ – Instrumental in beginning the set-up of baseball at the college
• Honored by the National Baseball Coaches Association for 30 years of coaching
• 2003 – Arizona Coaches Association’s All-Star Baseball Dedicatee
• 2003- AIA 1A Baseball Coach of the Year
• 2003- AZBCA 1A Baseball Coach of the Year
• 2003-2005- 1A East Region Coach of the Year
• 2001- 1A South Region Coach of the Year
•Coach of the AZBCA’s Super 50 All-Star Game
• Head Coach for the Hispanic All-Stars, 4-time North-South All-Star Games
• 2009- Inducted into the AZBC Hall of Fame
• 2010- Honorary Lifetime Pass Recipient from the Arizona Interscholastic Association in recognition of exemplary service to the interscholastic programs for the youth of Arizona
•BCA Victory Club for recording 300th career Victory
•2014 – Baseball Stadium Dedication John Lujan/Gilbert Mesa Stadium
• 2015 – Inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.