LAPLACE, La. — St. Charles Catholic’s 9-1 victory over Holy Savior Menard in the Division III select state championship marked the final game for Wayne Stein as head baseball coach.
When speaking with WGNO on Saturday, Stein says the decision was almost made last year. It will allow him to focus on family, football, and St. Charles Catholic athletics.
“I got very emotional talking to the kids. I mean, you know, we’ve always been great in baseball, but I felt like I’ve had the opportunity in the last decade to take it to another level, says St. Charles Catholic head coach Wayne Stein.
St. Charles Catholic first won a baseball state title under Stein in 2019.
Following the retirement of longtime head football coach Frank Monica, Stein spent the last two years as head football and baseball coach as well as the school’s athletics director.
A taxing workload but one he has handled well the last two years.
Stein has won four state titles in a row, with back-to-back championships in both football and baseball during that span.
“So, very proud and when I look at the things of, you know, turf field, an indoor facility, and new stadium. I’m proud of all of those things just as much as I am of the wins and I’ve always wanted our facilities to match the effort and the product that the kids put on the field. Throw on top of that Ida and fighting insurance and repairs, you know, that was a full-time job in itself. I’m at peace with it, I knew I was, and I didn’t want to make some announcement early. I didn’t want it to turn into a ‘let’s win one of these for coach Wayne.’ My kids for the last ten years have laid it on the line and I’ve been a part of a bunch of wins, over 240 of them to be exact, and I wanted it to be about those seniors and the legacy that they’re going to leave,” says Stein.
The 2023 senior class helped the Comets to consecutive titles while breaking a school record for wins (32) and games played in the 2022-23 season.
The class consists of players, Michael Hotard, Ayden Authement, Brady Clement, Britten Dean, and Ian Arnett. All five played both football and baseball for the Comets and have helped set a new standard of success for St. Charles Catholic athletics.
“They’re just high, high character kids,” says Stein.
Wayne Stein may be stepping down from his role as head baseball coach but will remain St. Charles Catholic’s head football coach and Athletics Director.
Ty Monica will take his place as the Comets skipper moving forward. Monica has been at St. Charles Catholic for 20 years where he has served as head softball coach as well as an assistant coach on the football team.
Monica is the son of Frank Monica and the brother of Archbishop Rummel head football coach Nick Monica. His son, Jackson, was responsible for the walk-off home run in the quarterfinals against University Lab that punches St. Charles Catholic’s ticket to the semi-final round in Sulphur.
“Ty was a baseball guy before he was ever a softball guy. I always thought he was a baseball guy coaching softball. So, I think it’s going to be a seamless transition and people may say that’s hard but I think he’s going to take the baseball program to the next step,” says Stein.
Under Ty Monica, St. Chares Catholic’s softball program reached the Division III quarterfinals in 2023, a state final in 2022, and the state semi-finals in 2021.