Eli Orona brings a proven track record of offensive success to LMU as the program's new hitting coach. Most recently serving as a hitting coach in the Texas Rangers organization, Orona led the Arizona Complex League in overall offense in 2024, guiding his team to league-leading marks in batting average (.285), OPS (.833), runs (396), doubles (118), RBIs (346), wOBA (.364), xWOBA (.336), and strikeout rate (21.2%). Under his guidance, Rangers minor league teams made the playoffs in 2022, 2024, and 2025.Â
During his four years with the Rangers (2022-2025), Orona developed a reputation for his data-driven approach and ability to build strong relationships with players. Working at both the Dominican Republic complex (2022) and Arizona complex (2023-2025), he successfully implemented organizational hitting philosophies while individualizing development plans for each athlete. His expertise spans technical analysis using Trackman, Trumedia, and Baseball Savant, combined with detailed game planning and video breakdown. Proficient in Spanish, Orona integrated cultural awareness into his coaching philosophy, fostering an inclusive environment that maximized player development.
A Southern California native, Orona was born and raised in West Covina in the San Gabriel Valley. He graduated from San Dimas High School in 2014 and played collegiate baseball at Cal State Northridge and Cal State LA. Orona earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from CSUN in 2019 and is currently completing a Master of Science in Coaching and Exercise Science at Concordia University Irvine. Before joining professional baseball, he trained under a world-renowned hitting instructor at Ball Yard in Northridge from 2018-2021, where he developed the foundation for his coaching philosophy focused on skill enhancement, personal growth, and fostering a culture of excellence.
Â
