Here comes Durango — again

Adam Candee

Thursday, April 24, 2003 | 9:40 a.m.

Sam Knapp knows all the fine history of Durango baseball, including the 1999 state championship, the outstanding ballpark and the program's reputation as a perennial power built on eight consecutive playoff appearances.

"I was here from day one, when none of this was here," Knapp said Wednesday as he looked out on The Yard. "I was here when we were building all of this."

Knapp, the Blazers' first-year head coach, served as an assistant under former coach Mike Gomez from 1993-98. And for all the challenges those staffs had to overcome, Knapp may have walked into the biggest one: Replace 17 seniors from last year's regional qualifier squad and maintain the Blazer name.

While things started slowly, with Durango struggling to a 5-10 mark, the Blazers (11-16) appear poised to return to the upper tier in the city after opening Southwest Division play at 5-1. That mark included wins against Bishop Gorman and Sierra Vista, two of the Valley's better teams.

"We've really come together as a team," Blazers junior Nick Bumstead said. "We've stopped pointing the finger at people."

Bumstead has seen both sides of Durango baseball, having played for last year's squad that was once ranked 11th in the nation and for this year's younger, more inexperienced team. He much prefers this group because of its energy and work ethic.

"I like this team more just because we never quit," Bumstead said.

The Blazers' effort did not translate into wins early in the season, though, as Knapp attempted to build a chemistry with just four returning players and eight underclassmen, including strong freshman everyday starters in outfielders Brandon Graff and Aldon Kahalehoe. Bumps in the road come along with such things, and Durango has dropped eight one-run games this year.

"You've got to experience a defeat by one, because this hurts," Durango senior Isaiah Whigham said.

Injuries and illnesses took their toll as well. At one point, the Blazers could suit up just 12 players, and that chemistry did not develop with so many pieces of the puzzle always on the side.

"Instead of finding ways to win games, we were finding ways to lose games," Knapp said.

Taking those lumps was a new experience for a team used to having enough savvy to stop losing streaks before they happen. But with a healthy team and the experience of this season in tow, Durango swept the first round of division play, including that sweet win over Sierra Vista.

The Lions eliminated Durango from the playoffs last season.

"What it did for these guys was show that the hard work they put in can pay off," Knapp said.

Bumstead said wins against the Gaels and Lions boosted Durango's confidence.

"It's huge," Bumstead said. "After you beat those kinds of teams, you feel like you can beat anybody."

Knapp credits players such as sophomore Kris Cichoski, and juniors Anthony Iaconanni and Emilio Gonzales for marked improvement in recent days.

A tough road lies ahead, however, as evidenced by Tuesday's loss to Sierra Vista. Knapp hopes his team learned from its early season trials.

"This is a brand new experience for this group," Knapp said.

For a team whose only goal before the season was to make the playoffs, the experience already appears to be paying off.