By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — Former Riverside baseball coach Matt White is still sorting through what he called “mixed emotions” after he and the school parted ways last week, RA electing to not renew White’s contract after a season that saw him guide the Rebels to the Class 2A state semifinals. The Rebels came to terms with former Rummel and St. Martin’s coach Frank Cazeaux upon White’s departure.

But the former Rebel coach won’t be going far: White accepted the head baseball coaching position at East St. John last week, a position that was vacated by former coach Shan Williams at the end of the baseball regular season. 

This will mark the third St. John the Baptist Parish school team White has coached, after stints as Riverside and West St. John.

White will attempt to rebuild an East St. John program that has not made the playoffs since the power points system was adopted.

“It’s exciting in that I’ve coached at a couple of 2A schools (West St. John was 2A during White’s tenure there) and East St. John is obviously a 5A, so we’ll be among the big boys,” White said. “Off the bat, we’re going to have to get our power points up. 

“We’ll have to mix it up on our schedule. You want to play the heavy hitters to get your ready, but at the same time you need to win enough games to stay in the hunt.”

The Wildcats went 7-22 last season but will bring back handful of productive players, led by shortstop Ahmani Martin and outfielder Phil Adams. 

White was hired in July of 2010 to head the Riverside baseball team, a return to the school he graduated from and where he coached the Lady Rebel softball team to a state championship victory in 2002. That was White’s last year in a coaching capacity with the school until his hiring in 2010.

White was an assistant football coach and the head track coach at West St. John from 2002-2004.

He said he left Riverside with a heavy heart, after leading the Rebels to a 2A semifinal appearance last season and a state runner-up finish in 2012. Riverside advanced in the postseason in each of his four seasons with the team.

“I put my heart and soul into the program,” White said. “We’d play anyone in the state, in any class, and had a chance to win. It was disheartening to not have my contract renewed, but it’s a chance to open a new chapter. 

“Jade (Falgoust) and Ashton (Perret) are coming over with me as assistants. It’s a new challenge and we’re excited on that end of it.”