Meet The Coaches

JOHN MEYER
Varsity, Head Coach

2024 will be Coach Meyer's 22nd season as Marquette's head coach and 34th 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 will be 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 337 games and lost 213 (with 1 tie). Coach Meyer has an overall win/loss record of 511-317-1. 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 is also the head softball coach (the 2022 team played in the Final Four and finished in fourth place) and has been teaching business courses at Marquette since 2000 where he also serves 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 10th year coaching as an assistant with the varsity. He is 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. 

SPENCER THOMSON

Vasity, Assistant

Spencer is entering his 7th year as hitting coach for the Mustangs. A 2003 graduate of MHS, Spencer played on Coach Meyer's first district championship club (2003). Spencer played collegiately at Culver-Stockton College and finished his degree in Sport Management at Missouri Baptist University. 2021 will mark Spencer's 17th season coaching baseball and he also serves as the strength coach at MHS during the fall sports season. Spencer and his wife Natalie have been married since 2015 and have three dogs: Cletus, Luvy, and Bitsy.

DAN CZOLGOSZ

Junior Varsity, Head Coach

2023 will be Dan Czolgosz's 4th year in the program. He has served as the JV coach for two years and has assisted with the varsity since 2023. Coach Czolgosz (Cho-gus) is a 2003 graduate of Lafayette High School. He attended the University of Iowa where he majored in communications. He has been coaching club level high school baseball with the St. Louis Redbirds since 2010. Dan is a certified personal trainer and strength coach at Output Performance in Brentwood where he works with athletes of all ages. When he is not coaching or training; Dan enjoys cooking, distance running, and disc golf with his dog Ruby. This is Dan's first coaching role within the Missouri High School Athletic Association and he is poised to become a valuable member of the Mustangs baseball program.

MARC OSTROWSKI

Freshmen, Head Coach

2024 will be Marc Ostrowski's 6th year coaching baseball at Marquette and his 15th 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.