When Emma Candelaria steps into the batters box for the Durango High School softball team, there’s no telling what she’s going to do, but opponents can expect hard contact.
The senior catcher who attends Bayfield High School leads the Demons with five home runs, which is tied for the school record for most in a single season along with teammate Tori Raybourn. Candelaria is also gunning for the team record for the most stolen bases in a season. Her senior year has been about more than breaking a few records. Her main priority is to lead Durango back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
“We’ve had a really good year and had a strong start to the season,” Candelaria said. “We just need to keep our heads up and keep playing like we have been. I think beating Grand Junction for the first time in program history was huge for us, and it definitely kept our heads up. It made us think that we can actually do this, and it’s not just a normal Durango softball team. We’re good enough to make it.”
It’s been an up and down 2019 for Durango, as the Demons are in the midst of a four-game losing streak in which they have scored 13 runs. It came on the heels of a five-game win streak in which they outscored their opponents 68-42. While she knows her team is in a funk, Candelaria believes that it’s only a matter of time before the Demons sort out their offensive woes.
“Just being there for each other is going to be so huge,” Candelaria said. “Everybody getting up in the dugout and rooting each other really helps. I think just knowing that we have each other’s backs is huge. One of the things coach loves to say is, ‘It’s not about you, it’s about the hitter behind you.’ It motivates everyone to get on base and keep the hits coming.”
If anyone can help lift the Demons out of their hitting slump, it’s Candelaria, daughter of Robert Candelaria and Brian and Deborah Wilhelm. She changed her hitting stance before the start of the season and added more power to her swing.
“I was in a bit of a slump at the beginning of the year, and then we had a coach come in and he corrected my entire stance,” Candelaria said. “One day at practice, I hit one over the fence and kept it up from there. I hit eight at one session, and (last week) I hit 10 over the fence.”
Durango head coach John Bernazzani, who is in his second stint as head coach, said Candelaria’s intrinsic nature on the diamond has propelled the Demons and said she will be instrumental down the stretch.
“She has certainly raised the bar for us,” Bernazzani said. “I always tell her just to be Emma. She’s a multiple-tool player with hitting, running and defense. She has been patient at the plate and will adjust her swing for a line drive, but early in the counts, she’s swinging for the fences. Her performance at the plate has been unmatched, and her softball IQ is incredible. She’ll pick up and share things with her teammates, and she provides an example for the rest of the team that this is how the game should be played.”
Candelaria is one of four Durango players who attend Bayfield High School and one of eight in the program to attend a school other than DHS. Regardless of how the season concludes, she’s glad she was able to experience a season as unique as this one.
“It’s really cool to see all the girls come from all over to play for this team,” Candelaria said. “We’ve got girls from Ignacio, Bayfield, Silverton, Animas High School and a home-schooled player. We’ve come together and act like we’ve known each other our whole lives and have been playing softball with each other forever. But, really, we’ve only been playing with each other for the past two or three years. The energy and positivity is there, and I think we can keep it up down the stretch.”
bploen@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What is your favorite sports movie?:
“The Sandlot”
Who is your favorite artist?:
Luke Bryan
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
Zia Taqueria
What is your dream car?:
A 2018 3500 Ram Dually
Who is your favorite professional athlete?:
Charlie Blackmon; he’s my all-time favorite player.
Do you have a dream vacation?:
Probably Egypt so I could see the pyramids.
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?:
The ability to fill things up because if my bank account is empty, I could fill it up. If somebody’s body is draining of blood, I could fill it up.
What teacher has had the biggest impact on you?:
My dad, Robert Candelaria. He’s a math teacher, and I’d always go to him for help. He teaches at Bayfield Middle School.
Who is your role model?:
My mom because she’s a really strong, independent woman. She’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
