Meet The Coaches

JOHN MEYER
Varsity Head Coach

2025 will be Coach Meyer's 23rd season as Marquette's head coach and 35th year coaching baseball. He has prior coaching experience at Eureka High School, with the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association (Meramec Valley & the Redbirds), with Nebraska American Legion Baseball (North Platte, Kearney, Lincoln, & Syracuse), and at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Coach Meyer was inducted into the 2024 Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and he is the 76th member inducted into the 2023 Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was named the Missouri Coaches Association Baseball Coach of the Year for 2019 (sponsored by the NFHS & MSHSAA) and the Midwest Sectional (MO, KS, NE, SD, ND, MN) Coach of the Year for 2019 (sponsored by the NFHS). Coach Meyer was selected as the Suburban West Conference Coach of the Year in 2007, 2013, 2014, & 2017. He was also named the 1999 St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association Coach of the Year. He served as the Class 4 vice president for the Missouri State High School Baseball Coaches Association from 2008-2011 and president elect for 2012-2013. Coach Meyer also served as the President of the Missouri State High School Baseball Coaches Association from July 2013-July 2015.

John's Marquette teams have won 347 games and lost 233 (with 1 tie). Coach Meyer has an overall win/loss record of 521-337-1. He has been in the dugout to lead eight of the eleven winningest teams in school history (2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, & 2019). Coach Meyer has also been fortunate to coach dedicated student athletes.  Every varsity team since 2003 has performed well in the classroom.  Each team has accumulated a team GPA of 3.25 or better while some teams have been ranked in the state's top 15 for team GPAs (See the In The Classroom page for further details).  John earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska-Kearney in 1992, a master's degree in education from Lindenwood University in 2003, and a master's degree in athletic administration from William Woods University in 2013. Coach Meyer was also the head softball coach in 2022 & 2023 (named Conference Coach of the Year in 2022 and the 2022 team played in the Final Four). John taught business courses at Marquette from 2000-2024 where he also served as the department head. He and his wife Denise have a daughter, Tanner.

meyerjohn@rsdmo.org 

Contact information:

John Meyer

Marquette High School

2351 Clarkson Road

Chesterfield, MO 63017

Phone: 636.891.6000, extension 26103

Fax: 636.891.8819

SAM BASTA

Varsity Assistant

Coach Basta is entering his 11th year coaching as an assistant with the varsity. He was also a varsity softball assistant coach that played in the 2022 Final Four. Sam is a 2004 graduate of Marquette and was a three year varsity player. He played on Marquette's first district championship team in 2002 while also being a member of the 2003 district championship team. The 2003 team went on to be the first Sectional winning team in program history as well. After graduating in 2004, Coach Basta was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and spent five years in their minor league system. Sam previously coached with the St. Louis Redbirds/314 Sports Organization that is run by his brother EJ (a 2002 MHS grad). His wife Elizabeth works at Marquette and they have two children, Braxton & Blakleigh. 

EJ BASTA

Varsity Assistant

2025 will be E.J. Basta's 1st year coaching baseball at Marquette. He is a 2002 alumni of Marquette High School and was a key contributor of the first district championship team in program history. E.J. was the 2002 Suburban West Conference Player of the Year, 1st team All State (2001 & 2002), and 1st team All Metro (2002). He played at STLCC, where he was a two time JUCO All American, before transferring to the University of South Alabama (D1, Sunbelt Conference). E.J. finished his collegiate career at a local NAIA powerhouse, Missouri Baptist University. Coach Basta went onto play in the Frontier Professional Baseball League (Gateway Grizzlies & Rockford Riverhawks) for 2.5 seasons. He currently owns the largest single location youth/high school baseball program in the U.S. which serves over 700 players from ages 7-18. He lives in West County with his GF Robyn Ware and 3 puppies (Kobe, Mookie, & Aspen). Coach Basta brings a wealth of coaching knowledge from youth, HS, and collegiate levels. He is looking forward to advancing the Marquette Baseball Program for years to come.

CHRIS WRIGHT

JV Head Coach

MARC OSTROWSKI

Freshmen Head Coach

2025 will be Marc Ostrowski's 7th year coaching baseball at Marquette and his 17th year coaching high school baseball. Prior to coaching at Marquette he coached at Hazelwood East High School and Kirkwood High School. He is also an assistant coach with the softball program. Coach Ostrowski earned his bachelor's degree from Benedictine University in 2005 and a master's degree in school administration from Maryville University in 2011. He also earned a master's degree in American Government from Ashland University in 2017. Coach O has been teaching social studies courses at Marquette since 2017. He and his wife, Nicole, have a son, Max and a daughter, Aubrey.

RYAN LUKACH

Assistant

Coach Lukach enters his first year in the Marquette Baseball Program. He is a valuable addition helping run the offseason weight room program as well assisting both the varsity & JV levels. He is a 2010 graduate of Hillsborough HS (NJ) where he was a two-way player for the Raiders. During his time at Boro he was a three year starter and two time team captain, winning 20 career games on the mound and collecting multiple accolades including All County, All Conference & All State honors. Ryan moved on to play Division 1 Baseball at the University of Hartford (CT) where he was a four year starter and three time team captain, collecting over 200 hits as well as earning various All Rookie, All Conference & All New England honors throughout his college career. His biggest accomplishment at Hartford was helpiing change the culture of a 6-43 team to go onto win 31 games just three seasons later. After graduation, Ryan has been in the strength & conditioning industry fror the past decade, most recently owning and operating his own facility in the St. Louis area following a move in 2020. Ryan and his wife Christy, along with their son Marshall, daughter Parker, and two labradors live close to MHS in Chesterfield.