Wagner Selected Baseball Coach at Moorpark College

Ken Wagner, the baseball coach at Camarillo High for the past seven seasons, has been named to a similar position at Moorpark College, the school announced Tuesday.

The Ventura County Community College Board of Trustees must approve the selection at its Tuesday meeting. If Wagner is approved, as expected, he will succeed Ron Stillwell, who resigned in May after five seasons as coach of the Raiders.

Wagner, 43, compiled a 98-63-1 record and his teams won two Marmonte League titles at Camarillo. The Scorpions were 12-13 this season and finished tied for fourth in the league with a 5-7 mark.

The Scorpions advanced to the Southern Section 4-A Division final in 1985 but lost to Fountain Valley, 3-2.

Key players on that team were Scott Cline and Charlie Fiacco, both of whom went on to play at UCLA and were selected in this month’s baseball amateur draft. Several Camarillo players have earned four-year scholarships, including pitcher Steve Biggs, who will attend Cal in the fall.

Wagner said that he will continue to teach physical education at Camarillo and coach at Moorpark on a walk-on basis.

“I think I’m ready to try something new, so I was really pleased to be selected,” Wagner said. “I’ve really enjoyed the high school kids, but Moorpark gives me a chance to work with some different kids.”

Wagner said that Mel Bannon, his assistant at Camarillo, will join him at Moorpark as an assistant.

Carl Thompson, Camarillo’s athletic director, said that he will advertise the job within the Oxnard Union High School District, which consists of Camarillo, Channel Islands, Hueneme, Oxnard and Rio Mesa. The school is looking for an on-campus coach, said Thompson, adding that he wants to name Wagner’s successor by July 1.

“We expect a lot of candidates because the program is a good one and Camarillo is a baseball community,” Thompson said.