蜜柚直播

His father, Jose Higuera, was an infielder for Douglas鈥� state championship baseball team in 2001 and played collegiately at Nicholls State. The older Higuera is now a Border Patrol agent in Douglas. His jersey number (3) at Douglas is the number his son now wears.

Ivan Higuera鈥檚 cousin, Isaac Higuera, is a right-handed pitcher for Paradise Valley Community College.

Baseball is a way of life in the Higuera household.

鈥淚鈥檝e been playing it all my life,鈥� Higuera said. 鈥淢y dad has been a big role model, big influence in the aspect of baseball. I just grew up around it. All my cousins, all my friends, everybody played, so the people around me made me fall in love with it.鈥�

Higuera, a three-year starter at shortstop, has ascended into a leader and prominent player for the Bulldogs. As a sophomore last season, Higuera was 25th in the state in stolen bases (28). In nearly 70 career games on the varsity level, Higuera, who emulates his skillset after former Boston Red Sox star shortstop Dustin Pedroia, has a .351 batting average with 66 hits and 59 runs.

Higuera鈥檚 all-time favorite memory as a player happened last season, when former Bulldog Gustavo Gomez hit a game-winning RBI to score Higuera from second base and lift Douglas over 蜜柚直播 College Prep 7-6 in extra innings for the first game of the Class 4A playoffs.

In the fall, Higuera is also the starting quarterback for Douglas鈥� football team.

During his sophomore season in 2023, Higuera was named the Class 4A Gila Region Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 1,031 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last season, Higuera was the Class 4A Gila Region Player of the Year with 2,094 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns.

鈥淚 just feel like when I play, you won鈥檛 know what I do if I have the ball in my hands,鈥� Higuera said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not gonna know if I鈥檓 gonna throw it or if I run it. You don鈥檛 know if I鈥檓 gonna make a move or just throw the ball and score.鈥�

Douglas baseball head coach Fabian Ochoa said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to say he鈥檚 probably one of the best athletes in 蜜柚直播, that鈥檚 just my opinion. He鈥檚 an all-around athlete.鈥�

鈥淗e rushes for 1,000 yards, throws for 1,000 yards and comes out here and hits .400,鈥� Ochoa said of Higuera. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those guys that has the it-factor where everyone just wants to be around him.鈥�

Douglas football head coach Hunter Long said Higuera is 鈥減robably the most competitive guy we have on the team. Regardless of the situation, we can be up by 50 or down by 50, he鈥檚 got that competitive edge and holds himself to a really high standard. He鈥檚 a high competitor in football.鈥�

As a quarterback, 鈥渉e stays calm, cool and collected,鈥� Long said of Higuera.

鈥淗e never gets overexcited or worked up,鈥� Long said. 鈥淗e never gets down on himself and his teammates. He鈥檚 always trying to keep them up and the team feeds off his confidence. He鈥檚 one of those guys that everybody just likes to be around. He鈥檚 one of those where you love to have on your team but you hate to go against him.鈥�

Higuera鈥檚 unflappable demeanor was the catalyst to Douglas鈥� five-game winning streak after the Bulldogs lost to rival Bisbee last season. Higuera threw a costly interception in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and Douglas fell to Bisbee 26-20.

鈥淎 lot of guys could鈥檝e felt down on themselves and felt bad about losing the big rivalry game, but he was ready to work on Monday, fix his mistakes and he really turned around our season,鈥� Long said. 鈥淩egardless of losing that big rivalry game, we were successful with him.鈥�

Higuera attributed his on-field success as a baseball player and quarterback to confidence.

鈥淐onfidence is key,鈥� he said after Douglas鈥� 9-2 win over Sabino on Wednesday. 鈥淚鈥檝e been taught to play with confidence. Just trust in your abilities and you should be fine. You鈥檙e gonna succeed if you trust what you do. Preparation is all that matters. If you trust your preparation, then you鈥檙e gonna go out there and succeed. 鈥� The coaching staff, everybody around me has just taught me how to mature more in the game of baseball.

鈥淵ou know, it鈥檚 a really hard game, so not putting that much pressure on yourself is going to help you. Baseball is already hard as it is.鈥�

Away from the baseball diamond and football field, Higuera has a 3.5 GPA and is one of two Douglas baseball players to be on the DHS Student Athletic Leadership Council (SALC), which 鈥渟peaks to his character and humility.鈥�

Higuera and other Douglas student-athletes periodically travel to elementary schools in 蜜柚直播 County and read books to students. He also helps out with youth football camps at Douglas.

鈥淗e鈥檚 like a superstar with little kids,鈥� Ochoa said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small town, so everyone knows who you are.鈥�

Higuera also helps coach his younger sister鈥檚 youth softball team, the 鈥淒iamond Divas.鈥�

鈥淪he looks up to me,鈥� Higuera said. 鈥淲e fight sometimes, but it鈥檚 all love. She looks up to me and I鈥檓 going to try and do everything to help her succeed, help her teammates succeed. I just love when I was being coached when I was little. I just loved learning from other people and trusting what they taught me, so I just want to go out there and do the same for them.鈥�

Offering his time to help the Douglas community comes naturally for Higuera, because 鈥測ou鈥檙e supposed to be there to give back to them.鈥�

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be behind me, so I鈥檓 going to be behind them no matter what, even after baseball,鈥� Higuera said. 鈥淎fter whatever I do in life, I鈥檓 still always going to help and try to help the community any way I can.鈥�

When Higuera is done playing baseball, he wants to pursue a career in sports medicine, 鈥渂ecause I feel like it really interests me and how the the body works, why we get injured, what to do if we get injured and help fellow baseball players and football players,鈥� he said.

Higuera still has another football and baseball season before he graduates from Douglas in 2026.

鈥淣ow that he鈥檚 (going to be) a senior, he鈥檚 got a grasp of our offense,鈥� said Long. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to unleash him and let him run wild and show what he can do, because what he can do is special. He makes our lives easier.鈥�

Higuera is 鈥渉opeful to get an opportunity somewhere and go play (baseball) somewhere鈥� in college, he said. Higuera added, 鈥淚 feel like I have the capability to do so and I love the game of baseball, so hopefully somebody gives me a shot.鈥�

鈥淗e needs to go play college baseball,鈥� said Ochoa. 鈥淗e鈥檚 too good not to. He鈥檚 going places.鈥�

Fast Five with Ivan Higuera

Who are your favorite baseball and football players?

鈥淔or baseball, I鈥檒l say (Francisco) Lindor. I just love that he鈥檚 always got a smile on his face. For football, I鈥檒l say Patrick Mahomes. He鈥檚 elusive and you don鈥檛 know what he鈥檚 going to do with the ball.鈥�

What are your favorite baseball and football teams?

鈥淭his is going to be controversial, but the Boston Red Sox. I鈥檝e always been a Red Sox fan. For football, I don鈥檛 hop on bandwagons so I鈥檒l say I鈥檓 an 蜜柚直播 Cardinals fan.鈥�

What鈥檚 your favorite walk-up song?

鈥淩ight now, my song is 鈥楪6 Pt. 2鈥� (by Lil Double 0), but I鈥檓 going to change it up to 鈥楢ll of Me鈥� by 21 (Savage).鈥�

What鈥檚 your go-to postgame meal?

鈥淚鈥檓 a big Subway guy. Italian herbs and cheese (bread), footlong, double provolone (cheese), double turkey, salami, pepperoni, ham, all the meats in there with regular veggies and everything except bell peppers and olives 鈥� and you get a free cookie; raspberry cheesecake, that鈥檚 the one.鈥�

What is your favorite class?

鈥淪ports med.鈥�