One man can change a program, and Durango High School baseball is an example of that under head coach Masen Hibbeler as the Demons look to rise to new heights with a loaded roster.
Before Hibbeler, the Demons hadn’t had a winning season since 2021. Durango was winless in league in 2024, the year before Hibbeler took over. But last season, something changed in Year 1 under Hibbeler. He led a talented, but younger, group of athletes to the playoffs and to the program’s first regional title since 2014 with an aggressive style of baseball.
The Demons lost in the state playoffs, but return nearly everyone from that team as they begin the 2026 season in New Mexico at the Piedra Vista tournament on Thursday.
“I’m fired up about what they have to display this year,” Hibbeler said. “They’ve gotten better every day since the end of last season. After getting a taste of the postseason, now they’re hungry for more.”
Durango only had two seniors who were in the batting lineup last season, and only one senior who routinely pitched for the Demons. Hibbeler said it’s fun to have nearly the whole team back because he doesn’t have to focus as much on the mechanics of the game. He’s focused on building a team and keeping them together. Hibbeler said all the guys are sponges; they learn so quickly, and it’s very refreshing for him.
The preparation for the season began in the fall in the weight room for the Demons. Hibbeler said it will be noticeable how much more physical Durango looks in its uniforms this season. Durango also took advantage of the warm winter by getting outside as much as they could.
In the weight room, Durango has worked on a hitting program through stability training and a lot of rotational work. Hibbeler said everyone on the team has put on at least 10 pounds of muscle.
“We've been doing a lot of base running, implementing a lot of new things to support our aggressive style when it comes to a lot of situational stuff,” Hibbeler said. “We did that a lot last year, but now this year, they come in with an understanding and know what to expect. So we're just elaborating a little bit more.”
The Demons finished 15-10 overall and 5-5 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League. Durango finished fourth in the league last year behind Fruita Monument, Palisade and Grand Junction. Hibbeler learned last year that his team can’t take a weekend off since everyone’s returning some talent.
There will also be a lot of talent at the Piedra Vista tournament, which runs Thursday-Saturday and the Farmington tournament, which runs from March 19-21. However, the Demons have a lot of returning talent to compete and beat the teams on their schedule, starting with senior Dawson McInnes.
Last season, McInnes led the team with a 0.427 batting average, 32 hits and tied for first with 32 RBIs. McInnes also pitched and was second on the team with a 3.88 ERA.
“He's an incredible athlete, so he's going to be out in the outfield for us this year,” Hibbeler said about McInnes. “That's where he projects to play for the next level. The kid is just hyper-coachable. So being able to spend this offseason with him and really just calm down his thoughts about the mechanics of it and just allow his athleticism to take over has been a blast.”
Durango had a lot of options to put on the mound last season, and six of the seven pitchers who made at least two appearances are back this season. Hibbeler is starting junior pitcher Coen Anderson at the beginning of the season. He led the team with a 2.52 ERA last season, and Hibbeler said he’s up 20 pounds. Anderson has a lot of movement on his pitches, and Hibbeler was excited with how he played in the summer.
Senior captain Austin Romero is also back for the Demons. He’ll pitch after finishing last season with a 4.08 ERA, and he was Durango’s second-best hitter with a 0.403 average. Hibbeler has been impressed with Romero’s knack for the game and his awareness, regardless of what position he’s playing.
In the outfield, senior Dylan Burns will return at center field after an impressive junior campaign. McInnes will handle right field when he’s not pitching. Seniors Tate Rose, Brady Hoerl and junior Grady Feeney will see a lot of time in the outfield with Anderson, Romero and McInnes spending a lot of time pitching.
Romero and sophomore Cole Clark will man third base for the Demons. Senior Landin “Bubba” Padilla will play shortstop for the Demons, and Hibbeler called him the leader of the infield. Senior Ollie Peterson is back at second base after a stellar junior year, and senior Cooper Mitchell will step into the first-base role.
Hibbeler expects junior Duncan Walsh to take a big step up this season. A true glue guy for the team, Walsh is a student of the game who’s put on some weight and hit quite a few home runs last fall, according to Hibbeler.
If everyone on the Demons plays as well or better than they did last year, Durango should compete to host a regional and go further in state.
“The goal is to make the playoffs and win your last game,” Hibbeler said.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
