Play Ball! Baseball season starts today for Moorpark High

Update: Moorpark is competing is the Southern California Easton tournament this week. The Musketeers won the opener over Cleveland 6-2, then lost to Hart 12-2 on Saturday.

Coming off its best baseball season in school history, Moorpark High opens today at 3 p.m. at Cleveland High in Reseda, and the Musketeers are eager to parlay the momentum after winning 23 games and reaching the Southern Section quarterfinals – the most wins and the furthest any Moorpark team has ever advanced.

Ace pitcher Matt Higginbotham returns, and he figures to oppose touted transfer Jack Hartman today in matchup between two of the area’s top right-handers.

Higginbotham was 6-2 last year, including victories over top opponents Lakewood (ranked nationally at the time), Capistrano Valley, Royal of Simi Valley and Westlake. Hartman is a transfer from Notre Dame.

“Matt competes. He flat out competes,” coach Scott Fullerton said. “Whenever he’s out there, we have a good chance to win because he battles on every pitch for the whole game. He just goes 100 percent, and he’s a very bright kid, too, a 4.0 student. Just a really smart kid.”

Moorpark has a deep pitching staff with Matt Corcoran, Jordan Guerrero, Steven Donlon and Johnny Wilson.

Corcoran was the winning pitcher when Moorpark won the VIBL championship this past summer.

“He’s sneaky good. I like this guy,” Fullerton said. “He’s the kind of pitcher where he’s pitching for five innings, and all of sudden you realize the other team has just three hits of him. Really crafty. He knows how to pitch. He’s not overpowering, but he throws strikes.”

Guerrero, a junior left-hander, blossomed during winter competition, and Donlon will be the closer.

“Donlan is lights out,” Fullerton said.

Wilson, a transfer from San Clemente, is resting his arm for a week or two, but there are big plans for him, Fullerton said.

“If he gets healthy, that’s a big plus for us,” Fullerton said.

Another key returnee is Spencer Dubois, the starting catcher, along with infielder Blake Barnes.

“We are solid up the middle,” Fullerton said.

Jake Woolley, also a top football player, returns at first base, so there are a lot of experienced players as the Musketeers look to contend with Marmonte League rivals Newbury Park Thousand Oaks, Royal, Westlake, Simi Valley, Calabasas and Agoura.

Fullerton is in his 17^th year, and he loves the start of a new baseball season.

“Of course it’s awesome. Every day in the yard is a good day,” he said.

Moorpark has won two Marmonte League titles, the last in 2004.