Walton to enter Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame

Monte Walton knows it’s going to be an emotional day Saturday, Nov. 14, at Safeco Field, when he’s inducted into the Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame — especially when they talk about his father, Mal.

While Walton was already inducted into the Centralia College Hall of Fame in March and the Washington State Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012 and was the first recipient of the Washington State Dan White Assistant Coach of the Year baseball award, Saturday’s honor will be a little bit different.

In a way, he’ll be rejoining his father, who died just over a year ago.

“I know it’s going to be a pretty emotional day for me on Saturday,” said Walton, who was recently named the next baseball coach at Sehome High School. “Especially when they talk about my dad because we are going to be on the same plaque at Safeco Field. I know he will be looking down from above at what’s going on and I’m sure he’s going to be proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

Mal, also a renowned coach in the area, was inducted into the WSBCA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Washington State American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.

His son has certainly earned his own spot among the baseball coaching greats in state history.

Walton has been coaching since high school, when he worked with elementary students through Bellingham Parks and Recreation during the summer. A baseball, basketball and football player at Ferndale High School, Walton went on to play baseball at Centralia College and Western Washington University.

Walton began coaching at the high school level as an assistant coach at Sehome in 1979 under Gary Hatch, the legendary coach he will replace at Sehome.

As the head coach, Walton plans to maintain many of the same systems that Hatch perfected during his career.

“We will be doing lots of things that Gary did,” he said. “We shared ideas when I was there with him during his time as a coach and I know all the kids, so it’s going to be a pretty smooth transition.”

One of Walton’s past players, David Lynch, went on to play baseball in New Orleans after graduating from Sehome in 1983.

Lynch is excited to know that Walton will be carrying on the traditions of Hatch, and he fondly remembers the coaching he received from both.

“He seemed to have a knack for coaching each individual player and their personality. He was very adaptable,” Lynch said. “His baseball knowledge was second to none except for Gary Hatch and his father.”

As a coach, the greatest lesson he has learned is the balance between strategy and personalities. Making sure that coaches and players understand what is asked of each other, while staying positive, is what will create a winning team, Walton said.

He is at the point in his career when he has worked himself up to one of the top positions in coaching baseball in Washington, Walton said.

“I’m pretty satisfied with where I’m at,” he said. “I’m not going to look any farther than what I have coming forward here starting in February for our Sehome program working with the great kids that we have and the great administrators that we have and teachers and start moving forward that way.”

It has been a whirlwind the past month, Walton said. Being named to the WSBCA Hall of Fame and to the position of head coach at Sehome was exciting and overwhelming.

“I really share this award with all the players I’ve coached and all the coaches I’ve coached for and with,” he said. “Looking back there was a lot of contribution, there were a lot of influences on my life through those coaches and players. It’s been rewarding to look back and say, I did do a lot.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Walton to enter Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame."