Islanders Baseball Makes Two New Coaching Additions

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Head Coach Scott Malone and the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Baseball program announced a pair of additions to their staff this month with the appointment of Assistant Coach Nick Magnifico and Volunteer Coach Sam Mote. Magnifico will assist the Islanders' coaching staff with both recruiting and the offensive side of the ball, after spending time with the University of Central Missouri and Heartland Community College. Mote meanwhile, comes to the Island after recent stints at the University of Northwestern Ohio and Iowa Western Community College.

A Missouri-native, Magnifico began his college playing career with John Wood Community College in Quincy, Ill., where he was a shortstop and team captain. The new Islander hire would go on to graduate from Missouri State with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology before beginning his coaching career with alma mater Lexington High School, where he served as an Assistant Coach for a year before taking over Head Coaching responsibilities from 2012-14. 

After a season at the reigns of William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo. and a summer with the Coastal Plain League's Holly Spring Salamanders, Magnifico got a chance to cut his teeth at the college level as the Hitting Coach for Heartland Community College. While at Heartland Magnifico got the opportunity to tutor two All-Americans, including 2016 National Junior College Player of the Year, and New York Mets prospect, Colin Holderman.

With the Hawks finishing in the top-10 of nine major offensive categories nationally, Magnifico was able to earn a position with 2016 MIAA Conference Champions, the University of Central Missouri. The newly established assistant tutored a number of recognized hitters, including four All-Conference performers, two All-Region performers, and All-American outfielder Justin Graff-Rowe. 

A four-year letterwinner at Wright State, Sam Mote helped the Raiders to a Horizon League Championship in 2009, and its second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years. After completing his playing career at WSU, Mote went on to spend a season as the Volunteer Coach for the University of Cincinnati program, serving as the team's first base coach while managing gameday operations.

From 2011-12 Mote spent time working with Pastime Tournaments in Indianapolis and Prep Baseball Report Ohio, as well as logging time as a substitute teacher in the Miamisburg City School System. The Islanders' new hire went on to spend the next three baseball seasons at Iowa Western Community College, where as an Assistant Coach, he would help lead the Reivers to a 2014 NJCAA National Championship and a fifth place finish in the 2015 NJCAA World Series. Iowa Western set back-to-back school records in fielding percentage while Mote was on staff and reached as high as fifth nationally in batting. 

Fort a pair of seasons, Mote sat as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the University of Northwestern Ohio, aiding the Racers to program records in doubles (114), home runs (28) and slugging percentage (.471) during the 2016 season. UNOH would go on to win the 2017 WHAC Regular Season Championship, and finish in the top-10 in most major offensive categories under Mote's guidance. 

Both Magnifico and Mote will be in the dugout for the Islanders 19th season of competition, as Corpus Christi searches for its first Southland Conference Title in club history this 2018 season. 

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