Posted: Dec 08, 2017
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Ernie Fazio, a standout Santa Clara University baseball player in the early 1960s who is in the University's Athletic Hall of Fame, died last week at age 75.
Fazio helped lead the 1962 Broncos to the nation's top-ranking and to the final game of the College World Series. The middle infielder led the nation in homeruns (16) that season and topped the team in RBI (67) and walks (41), all of which remain in the top-10 in the Bronco single season record books.
Shortly after the College World Series, Fazio made his debut with the Major League Baseball expansion team Houston Colt .45s. The 1974 Santa Clara Athletic Hall of Fame inductee would play three seasons in the big leagues, playing his last season for the Kansas City Athletics.
In 1963, Fazio hit his first big league homerun against future MLB Hall of Famer, Warren Spahn.
Fazio is survived by his wife, Kathleen, daughter Amy (husband Nick Vella), stepsons Todd and Stephen Malone (wife Samara), and three grandchildren Nicco, Alivia Vella and Aiden Malone.
