Elijah Ontiveros began his coaching career at Westmont College, right after graduating from UC Davis in 2017. Entering his sixth season with the Warrior program, and his first with Coach LaTorre at the helm, Elijah has been tasked with working with the catchers and hitters and leading the program’s recruiting efforts. In addition to his duties as an assistant coach, he also works as Westmont's athletic facilities liaison.
In his five years on staff, Ontiveros has led Westmont to four NAIA Opening Round Tournament appearances. As the catching coach, he has coached 4 All-Conference catchers, 2 Gold Glove award winners, and an NAIA All-American. He oversaw the development of Simon Reid from 2020-2022, until he was drafted as a junior in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Reid was the only NAIA position player selected.
Ontiveros has also assisted in leading 4 top-15 program ranking offenses during his time. The offenses that Ontiveros has coached rank in the top-15 for Average, Slugging, On-Base Percentage, Runs Scored, Hits, Doubles, Homeruns and Runs Batted In.
In 2022, the team would go on a 17-game winning streak and finishing tied for 1st in the Golden State Athletic Conference regular season. In the NAIA Opening Round, the Warriors would host nationally ranked opponents Indiana Southeast and Antelope Valley, as well as Olivet Nazarene. This Warrior squad would win the final game of the opening round against Antelope Valley with a final score of 12-0, claiming the programs first ever appearance at the NAIA World Series. While at the World Series the Warriors would face national powers Lewis-Clark State and Weber International. The team finished the season with a record of 45-13.
During Ontiveros time with the Warriors, they have been ranked as high as #3 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, their highest ranking in program history, before hosting an NAIA Opening Round Tournament that same year. In the 2019 season, after losing its first game of the opening round, the team rallied to win its next three, advancing to the championship game against Science and Arts (Okla.), where it lost in 12 innings. At that time, it was the furthest a Westmont baseball team had advanced in the Opening Round history. The team finished with a 37-16 record.
In 2020, Westmont was 18-9 overall (13-3 GSAC), with a two-game lead atop the conference standings halfway through GSAC play, when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In 2021, Ontiveros helped the Warriors navigate the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. Westmont finished the season with a record of 30-22, and was given the right to host one of NAIA Opening Rounds. During the Opening Round Westmont dropped their first game, but were able to come all the way to get to the semi-final game of the tournament.
Ontiveros is currently pursuing a Master Degree in Kinesiology at California State University, Northridge, specializing in biomechanics.
