Moorpark Baseball Standout Dislocates Shoulder in Opener

It’s a case of good news/bad news for Moorpark High’s baseball team.

The good news is the Musketeers are 3-1 heading into a showdown Saturday with annual power Crespi at Moorpark High. First pitch is at 1:30 p.m.

The bad news is Matt Higginbotham, Moorpark’s top returning player, suffered a dislocated shoulder sliding into second base in a season-opening 6-2 win over Cleveland of Reseda, and he’s out until next week, perhaps longer.

At least the injury is to his left, non-pitching shoulder, but it’s still a setback.

“It was an unfortunate way to begin the season,” Higginbotham said. “You wait all spring all this time for the season to finally happen. But I should be back before league competition starts, so it’s not that big of a deal.”

Try convincing coach Scott Fullerton, who is already concerned about pitcher Johnny Wilson’s sore arm, of that.

“The shoulder popped out pretty good, and he had to go to the hospital,” Fullerton said. “We have to weather that storm.”

Because of the injury, Higginbotham, who was 6-2 last season and is considered the Marmonte League’s top returning pitcher, can’t pitch for two weeks and can’t hit for three or four weeks.

“Hitting-wise, it takes more than pitchers, and he is one of our top dogs,” Fullerton said.

Moorpark is coming off a 3-2 win over Ventura in eight innings, ralling for two runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth, as Ventura committed five errors.

Jordan Guerrero scored the tying run in the seventh, and Moorpark won in the eighth with an infield error with the bases loaded.

Marmonte League competition begins Wednesday at Agoura beginning at 3:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL TEAM IS EVEN STEVEN

Moorpark’s softball team has won three of the past four to even its record at 4-4 heading into the Marmonte League opener Thursday at Westlake. First pitch is 3:30 p.m.

Moorpark, coached by Meaghan Stotts, is coming off a 5-1 loss to Hart of Newhall.