Islander Baseball Camps
Coaching Staff


Assistant Coach Chris Ramirez

Entering his fourth season with the Islanders, Chris Ramirez is the longest tenured asisstant on head coach Scott Malone's staff. He is responsible for several aspects of the team's day-to-day operations.

Ramirez has been in charge of recruiting for the Islanders since joining Malone's staff and the program has had two freshmen All-America selections - Trey Hernandez and Jeramie Marek - in that time. The fourth-year coach has expanded the Islander recruiting base not only across the state of Texas, but nationally as well. In his time on the Island, Ramirez has brought in players from Texas, New Jersey, Wisconsin, New York, Iowa, Illinois, Idaho, Rhode Island, Mississippi, California and Puerto Rico.

Ramirez also handles the team's travel arrangements and is in charge of the team's equipment and apparel. Finally, he serves as the liaison to Center of Athletic Academic Services. On the field, he will serve as the team's third base coach and work with outfielders.

Ramirez came to the Coastal Bend from Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa where he served as an assistant coach in 2006 and 2007. At Southeastern, Ramirez helped lead the Hawks to 68 wins over two seasons which included two of the program's three best seasons and a conference title. Fourteen players during that time moved on to four-year schools with two being drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.

Ramirez also gained coaching experience during the summer of 2007 by serving as an assistant for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League - a collegiate summer league. In the spring of 2006, he took the title of head coach at West Burlington High School, where he led the Falcons through their summer baseball schedule.

As a player, Ramirez spent two seasons at High Point University as an outfielder. He was named to the Big South All-Academic Team in 2005. He began his collegiate career at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa where he was a closer on the mound and outfielder. He spent one summer playing for LaCrosse, Wisc. in the Northwoods League and the summer of the 2004 in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

In high school, Ramirez played for Fort Madison High School in Iowa. He was twice a first-team all-state selection in Iowa and was the MVP of his conference as a senior. Fort Madison won the 3A state title in 2000.

Ramirez and his wife Lindsay were married during the summer of 2008. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from High Point in 2005.

Pitching coach Marty Smith is beginning his second season with the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball program after joining the staff in fall of 2009. He will be serving as Islander pitching coach and is responsbile for running the program's clinics and camps. He also assists fellow assistant Chris Ramirez in recruiting.

Prior to joining the Islanders, Smith spent the prior five years as an assistant coach at Angelo State University under head coach Kevin Brooks. His duties also included organizing and administrating hitting instruction. He managed equipment and field maintenance in addition to serving as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator.

Smith also aided in the programs recruiting efforts, recruiting Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana. In 2007, Smith helped Angelo State to Lone Star State Conference and Division Championships, a South Central Regional Championship and a trip to the Division II World Series.

Over the past three summers, he has coached the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains. In 2007, the Steamers compiled a record of 39-16 winning the North Division titles for each half. He was an all-star assistant coach and had six players named to CPL all-star team.

Additionally, he coached with the Newport Gulls, serving as the third base coach, instructing hitters and position players in the summer of 2005. He also served as the batting practice pitcher and directed and supervised summer baseball camps.

He taught and coached at Ft. Worth Brewer High School from (2002-04). He was the assistant baseball coach at Ft. Worth Brewer High School in addition to working as a football and basketball coach. Smith also was a mathematics teacher at Brewer High School.

Other activities he has been involved in include Champions for Christ, Brewer High School (2002-04). He Founded of Baseball Players for Christ (1997-2002), Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader (2000-03) and the Big Brothers Program (2002).

Smith is currently a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and has been since 2005.

He received his bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Hardin-Simmons University in 2002, while playing baseball. Smith is presently working on his master of science at Angelo State University.

Adam Skonieczki is in his first year as a volunteer assistant for Islanders Baseball. In addition to serving as the team’s first base coach, he also oversees the defensive work for the outfielders and assists in working with the hitters.

Skonieczki joined the staff after spending the summer of 2010 as an assistant coach for the Florence Redwolves of the Coastal Plains League. Coaching first base and the team’s hitters, the Endicott, N.Y., native helped the team win the first half championship and had the squad ranked as high as third in the nation.

A standout athlete for the University at Buffalo, Skonieczki brings a significant amount of playing experience to the Coastal Bend as well. As a four-year starter in centerfield, he finished his career second all-time in hits in addition to finishing in the top 10 in doubles, games played, triples, at bats, walks, home runs, stolen bases, runs and RBI. He had a .325 career batting average, capped off with a .370 mark as a senior. He earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors three times in his career.

Additionally, Skonieczki’s father, Jerry, played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and was a member of the 1959 National Champion Syracuse Orangemen alongside the legendary Ernie Davis. Skonieczki resides in Corpus Christi.