Meet Our New Head Baseball Coach

St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School is excited to announce the appointment of Matt Ward as the new head coach of its high school baseball program. Coach Ward succeeds Case Rasmus, who is relocating to take a coaching position in Guntersville, Alabama.

With 18 years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels, Ward brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to Pacelli. He most recently served as an assistant coach at Chattahoochee Valley Community College, and his local experience includes leading Valley High School as head coach and serving as pitching coach at Harris County High School.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Ward to the Pacelli family,” said Calvin Thomas, Athletic Director at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School. “His experience, leadership, and commitment to player development make him a tremendous asset to our baseball program. We’re confident he’ll continue to build a culture of excellence both on and off the field.”

“I’m honored to lead the Pacelli baseball program,” Ward said. “My passion lies in building strong relationships and helping players grow both on and off the field. My goal is to develop young men who not only compete at a high level, but also carry the values and discipline they learn here into every area of their lives.”

About Matt Ward
A native of Lake Butler, Florida, Ward graduated from Union County High School in 1996 and went on to play collegiate baseball at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. Despite setbacks from shoulder surgeries, he made a remarkable return to the mound in his fifth season and led his team in ERA. He was honored with the Frosty Holt Most Dedicated Award his senior year.

Ward launched his coaching career at Bainbridge High School before moving on to college-level coaching at Mars Hill University in North Carolina, where he helped the team set a school record for wins in just his second season. He then returned to Carson-Newman as pitching coach, where he mentored several players who went on to play professionally, including Steve Cishek (5th Round, Florida Marlins) and Matt Teague (8th Round, San Diego Padres) in the 2007 MLB Draft.

Since relocating to Columbus in 2010, Ward and his wife of over 20 years, Julie, have been active members of the local community. The couple has three children.

Please join us in welcoming Coach Ward and his family to the Pacelli community. We look forward to a bright future for Vikings baseball under his leadership!

Meet the Coach
There will be a Meet the Coach event for Pacelli boys going into grades 9-12 who are interested in baseball and their parents on Monday, June 9th at 7 p.m. at The Beck Center, 1801 Box Road, Columbus, GA 31907.