REEDLEY – Developing a culture of success, built on development, hard work and faith values, are some of the core fundamentals of Immanuel sports. And now that Eagles’ baseball will be led by a new campus coach, the unity of all of their major sports programs has come full circle.
In a press release, Immanuel Schools announced that Steve Ramirez, who led the Eagles varsity baseball program for the last three seasons, has been replaced as head coach. Stepping into the role is Aaron Shackleford, a former National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) star and Minor League farmhand of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Shackelford, who is from Murrieta, played collegiately at The Master’s College. He was named the NAIA Player of the Year in 2019; an NAIA First-Team All-American in 2019; the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) Player of the Year in 2019; and he was also a two time All-GSAC selection in 2018-19.
And to finish off the accolades, Shackelford was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 14th Round of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) Amateur Draft. During his time in the Pirates organization, Shackleford was awarded the Manny Sanguillen Pittsburgh Pirates Teammate of the Year in 2021.
As noted by Immanuel Schools Superintendent Ryan Wood, Shackleford’s reputation for development and cultivating positive relationships were just some of the impressive traits that reached out and grabbed him. And coupled with his playing experience, it sounds like Immanuel hit it out of the park with their next on campus coach.
“I am so thankful to the Lord for the opportunity at Immanuel to lead these young men towards excellence in the game of baseball, and most importantly, towards a life that honors and gives glory to the Lord, Jesus Christ,” said Shackleford. “I’m so excited to get to work with these guys and create a winning culture as we play for the glory of the King!”
When Ramirez took over the helm of the Eagles, the program was in a bit of a rough spot. And even though Ramirez did a commendable job returning the program to relevance, Wood acknowledged a general understanding with Ramirez about their desire to find an on campus coach, if the opportunity came about.
“We’ve talked about finding an on campus coach; but when he (Ramirez) became the head coach, and his son’s on the team, we kind of just let that lie,” said Wood. “I think it was an understanding that when we can get an on campus coach, we’re going to pursue that if it’s the right person. And we felt like Aaron was the right person.”
Having their six main athletic programs led by on campus coaches has been on Immanuel’s wish list for quite some time. And apparently, Ramirez understood and supported Immanuel’s decision to make the change at this time.
“I went into his office. I’m like, ‘hey, we might have an opportunity for someone to be on campus,’” said Wood. “He was not at all combative, he was very supportive. It’s more of an opportunity for the school to get the on campus coach than it is being dissatisfied with Steve Ramirez.”
In three seasons under Ramirez, the Eagles went 53-32, winning the Tri-County-Sequoia (TCS) Division in 2023 and 2024. Immanuel made the playoffs every season under Ramirez, advancing to the Central Section D-IV Championship game in 2023, eventually losing to Liberty (Madera) 9-5.
This season, the Eagles finished 15-12 overall, but fell to a disappointing 1-7 in the TCS. Immanuel eventually lost a 5-4 heart-breaker to city rival Reedley High in the opening round of the Central Section D-IV Playoffs.
