Islander Baseball Camps
Coaching Staff


Assistant Coach Chris Ramirez

Chris Ramirez is in his second season with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Ramirez serves as the team’s recruiting and travel coordinator off the field. On the field, he is the Islanders’ third base coach and works with the team’s outfielders.

He 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 was a two-year starter in center field at High Point Unviersity where he was named to the Big South All-Academic first team in the spring of 2005. He spent the summer of 2003 with the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League and the 2004 summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Pittsfield Dukes. He began his collegiate career with a dual role as a closer and centerfielder with Kirkwood Community College in Iowa.

In high school, Ramirez played at Fort Madison High School in Iowa. He was a two-time, first-team all-state selection and was the conference MVP 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 is currently working on his M.B.A.

Marty Smith is in his first season with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball program. He will be serving as Islander pitching coach.

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 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, 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 being the head football and basketball coach. Smith also was a mathematics teacher at Brewer High School.

Off the field, he was also involved in Champions for Christi, Baseball Players for Christi, Fellowship of Christian Athletics Huddle Leader and member of the Big Brothers program.

Other activities involved 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 bachelors of arts degree in mathematics from Hardin-Simmons University in 2002, while playing baseball. Smith is presently working on his masters of science at Angelo State University.

Blaze Lambert is in his first year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as a volunteer assistant coach for the baseball program.

Previously, Lambert spent the last two years at Angelo State University.  

He participated in intercollegiate athletics three years in college.

Lambert graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2007 with a degree in physical education, non-teaching with concentration in exercise science.  Currently, he is working on his master's degree in kinesiology at Angelo State University.

In his free time, Lambert enjoys working out, fishing and duck hunting. Currently, he resides in Corpus Christi.

Student Assistant Stephen Flora

• Preseason All-Southland Conference
• Johnny Bench Award Nominee
• Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Nominee
• 2008 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year

Stephen Flora was born in Springfield, Ill. on June 7, 1987 ... Son of Jeff and Tandy Flora ... Has a brother Austin ... Business major. Played three seasons at David Crockett High School in Austin for Miguel Trevino ... Batted .387 with six home runs...threw out 15 of 19 would-be base stealers as a senior ... Selected all-district first team as a junior and senior ... Participated in the Junior Sun Belt Classic for Team Texas. Spent two seasons with Javier Solis and the Whitecaps ... Selected to the Junior College All-Star game as a sophomore.

Director of Baseball Operations Estevan Vasquez