Durango High School senior Teagan Kehm will get to continue playing softball after she graduates.
Kehm recently signed a letter of intent to play college ball at Lamar Community College, which competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“I’m excited to go play some more softball,” Kehm said. “It’s nice to know I’m not stopping at high school.”
Lamar’s coach, Kristen Silva, invited Kehm and several other players to a tryout camp in October where athletes were tested on speed, batting, fielding and, for some, their pitching.
Kehm impressed the coach enough to earn a scholarship offer, and the school impressed Kehm enough to accept.
“It felt like the right college to go to if I want to learn more about softball and improve my skills,” Kehm said, adding a lot of other Running ‘Lopes go on to transfer to teams at four-year schools after playing for Lamar.
“Her being able to play at the next level is a result of her hard work and setting a goal when she was 7 years old,” said DHS head softball coach Jon Bernazzani. “It’s been a lifelong goal for her.”
The coach said she has put in a lot of time, including playing high-level club ball during the summers.
Kehm is a utility player, meaning she can play where she’s needed on the field. She said the coach told her she would be a good outfielder and would give her a chance to try out as a pitcher.
“She seems like a good coach who knows a lot,” Kehm said. “She’s ready to give me more feedback about my softball skills.”
The school also has some academic programs that interested her. Kehm said she plans to study forensic science at Lamar with an eye toward becoming a forensic investigator or a medical examiner.
This fall, Kehm finished with a team-high 33 hits in 71 at bats, good for a .465 batting average. More than half her hits went for extra bases, including four home runs, three triples and 12 doubles. Kehm also scored 36 runs and drove in 29 for the Demons.
In the field, Kehm was one of Durango’s top pitchers, but played all over the diamond. On the mound, she finished with a 7-4 record and 57 strikeouts.
Her performance helped her earn first-team all-conference honors from the Southwestern League.
Several other Demons, who finished 13-10 this year, also garnered all-league honors from the 5A/4A Southwestern League.
Tehya Barns, Sydney Flores, Alaysia Kremer and Carly Piccoli all made the all-conference second team.
Flores led the Demons with five home runs while scoring 34 runs and driving in 28. On the mound, she finished 6-5 with a 4.69 ERA.
Kremer hit three home runs and seven doubles for DHS, finishing the season with a .470 batting average, 28 runs and 20 RBIs.
Barnes scored 17 runs and drove in 24, batting .426 on the year.
Piccoli scored 25 runs from the lead-off position and stole seven bases in eight attempts.
