Good cross-town rivalries never die, and the Bayfield and Durango baseball teams will make sure of that on Tuesday.
It isn’t just competitive fire that will bring these two to the diamond this time around, however, as the 4:30 p.m. game at Durango High School will bring the communities together in what will be dubbed the Strikeout Childhood Cancer Game.
Along with some of the area’s best high school baseball players showing their stuff, there will be a fundraiser in which 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward pediatric research at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
“There’s definitely a rivalry here for the kids on the field, but to see them embrace the cause is so special,” Durango High School head coach Eric Baker said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “Our kids were excited to help out and the Bayfield team was quick to join in, so it’ll be a special day in many ways.”
Durango (7-6, 4-1 5A/4A Southwestern League) will attempt to avenge last year’s loss to the Wolverines in which Bayfield won 7-4 in a non-league matchup. Durango is currently 2-0 at home, but only 1-2 in non-league games.
Senior Lawrence Mayberry leads the Demons with .541 batting average with 23 runs scored, 20 hits, five doubles and two triples.
On the mound, Durango’s Andrew Selser has been the team’s ace by going 4-2 with a 3.43 earned run average. He has 29 strikeouts and opposing teams are batting only .231. Durango also has Dylan Carlson in the rotation. Carlson is 2-3 on the year with a 3.32 ERA while totaling 22 strikeouts.
“We have some big games coming up, so we’ll probably throw a bunch of different guys to conserve their arms,” Baker said.
Kyle Duran leads Durango with two home runs while driving in 11 RBIs and stealing four bases. Peyton Woolverton leads the team with 19 RBIs and has 15 hits on the season.
Bayfield (9-3, 2-0 3A Intermountain League) fell from the No. 2 ranking in the Class 3A Colorado High School Activities Association to No. 4. The Wolverines just opened up league play after weather caused a series of rescheduled games. Bayfield beat Alamosa twice in a doubleheader over the weekend.
The Wolverines are primed to make a late push for a deep postseason stance. Bayfield is not only 5-1 away from their home turf, but also is 6-1 in non-league games.
“Hopefully we keep playing like we did the last few weeks,” Bayfield head coach Jonathon Qualls said. “We are pulling our defense together and swinging bats. Hopefully we’ll play with intensity.”
The senior class of Bayfield has been huge all year. Senior Zane Phelps leads the Wolverines at the plate with a .591 batting average with 26 hits, two home runs and 20 RBIs. Kelton McCoy is also a star of the lineup, batting .512 with 22 hits, and Brody McGhehey leads the team with seven stolen bases while putting up a .462 batting average.
While the bats get all the glory, Bayfield’s pitching is impeccable. The Wolverines flaunt four aces with Phelps, McCoy, McGhehey and Taed Heydinger all able to bring headaches to opposing batters.
As a team, Bayfield has a 2.69 ERA as opposing teams are batting a mere .241 while giving up only one home run the entire year.
“Our pitching staff is always the strong suite,” said Qualls. “To have four solid pitchers like that is what we have relied on.”
Even though Qualls is uncertain who he’ll start, Heydinger is the most-likely choice as the senior is Bayfield’s main arm. The senior boasts a 2-1 record with a miniscule 1.38 ERA and a team-leading 32 strikeouts. Opposing teams are batting a slim .169 against Heydinger, who will have to be careful with a number of Demons, especially Mayberry who fronts a .653 on-base percentage and a .783 slugging percentage while striking out only three times this season.
Durango is riding a 6-2 record in its last eight games, averaging eight runs per game, which is better than its seven runs per game season average.
“(Durango) has been playing well as of late so we expect a really tough game,” said Qualls. “Hopefully we can play our best game and come out on top.”
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
jfries@ durangoherald.com
If you go
If you go
Who: No. 4 Bayfield at Durango
What: Varsity baseball
When: 4:30 p.m.
Where: Durango High School
Listen Live: KLJH 107.1 FM
Twitter: @The7thFreezer
