Moorpark's Baseball Team Looks to Get Back on Track

After a great start, Moorpark High’s baseball team has lost two of the past three heading into a Marmonte League game today at 3:30 p.m. at Calabasas.

The visiting Musketeers (8-3, 3-1) are coming off a 4-2 loss Wednesday at Simi Valley. The defeat pushed Moorpark into third place, a half-game behind Westlake (8-3, 4-1) and (6-5, 4-1).

Moorpark is in the midst of a busy stretch that includes nine games over 14 days, including a nonleague matchup Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Rio Mesa of Oxnard at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills.

Marmonte League completion resumes Monday against visiting Newbury Park, followed by Royal on Wednesday and Agoura on Friday.

The busy schedule should test Moorpark’s pitching staff, led by Matt Higginbotham and Jordan Guerrero, both of whom have thrown no-hitters this season. Higginbotham threw a no-hitter March 18 against Westlake, striking out 10, and Guerrero threw a no-hitter the next day against Granada Hills, striking out nine.

Keeping tabs: Jeff Barker, a freshman pitcher at BYU, has yet to allow a run in two appearances. … Justin Gorski, a junior pitcher for Cal State Northridge, is 3-2 with a 3.51 ERA.

SOFTBALL TEAM GOES HARD

Moorpark’s softball team seems to be getting hot at just the right time. The Musketeers have won two in a row heading into a Marmonte League game Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. against visiting Thousand Oaks, and with seven games remaining on a tight schedule, Moorpark (5-2, 3-2) is tied for third behind Simi Valley (9-1, 4-0) and Royal (7-2, 4-1).

Cheyenne Sandoval, a junior, is 5-3, and a 2-1 loss to Simi Valley on March 22 broke her four-game shutout streak. In 47 innings, she has a 1.19 ERA and 45 strikeouts while allowing 28 hits.

Nicole Pufahl, a sophomore, has seven RBIs over the past three games, and overall she is batting .333. Teammate Alexa Curt, a freshman, is batting .308 with one home run, a .577 slugging percentage and seven stolen bases.

READY TO HOOP IT UP

After winning 19 games and advancing to the second round of the boys’ basketball playoffs, Moorpark is hoping to build on its success for next season.

“We’re working out and trying to get some new guys involved,” said Jake Myers, one of the Moorpark’s top returning players. “We’re going to play in a couple of different summer leagues. I think we’re going to have a pretty good offensive team. Now it’s just going to be a matter of chemistry.”

La Verne Lutheran, the opponent that eliminated Moorpark from the playoffs, ended up going all way, winning the CIF State Division III championship in Sacramento.

“I wasn’t really paying too much attention, but I do remember we put up a good fight in the first quarter against them,” Myers said.