ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Arizona Wildcats head baseball coach Andy Lopez retires

May 25, 2015, 11:39 AM | Updated: 12:34 pm

University of Arizona head baseball coach Andy Lopez has announced he will be retiring after 33 years.

Lopez, one of the winningest coaches in college baseball, spent the last leg of his career at Arizona, where he led the team to a pair of College World Series appearances and the 2012 national championship.

“For the past 14 years, I have been extremely honored to be a part of the Arizona baseball program,” Lopez said. “This is a special place with many special people, and I thank everyone at The University of Arizona for the opportunity to finish my career here.”

Lopez’s final career victory came Sunday at Hi Corbett Field with an 8-1 win over Hawaii. The Wildcats finished the year 31-24 overall, 12-18 in the Pac-12 and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year.

Before UA, Lopez held coaching positions at Cal State Dominiguez Hills, Pepperdine and Florida.

“I never dreamed this big when I was 12 years old,” said Lopez. “I have loved playing and coaching this game, and it has taken me all over the world. I have been fortunate to develop life-long relationships that I cherish each and every day, and now I can dedicate more time to the people that mean the most to me.”

Lopez’s journey into collegiate baseball began as a player at Los Angeles Harbor Community College, where he played two seasons before transferring to UCLA.

He was drafted in the ninth round in 1975 by the Detroit Tigers in the amateur draft, but opted to complete his studies in Westwood and begin his coaching career instead of turning pro.

“There have been a lot of really good moments in my career,” Lopez explained. “I have been lucky to experience an unbelievable amount of success at the places I have coached.”

Lopez returned the Wildcats to national prominence in the 2012 season. The Pac-12 co-champions, Arizona went a perfect 10-0 in the postseason, winning the Tucson Regional and Tucson Super Regional en route to the school’s 16th all-time College World Series, where the team never trailed in five contests and defeated two-time defending national champion South Carolina in the best-of-three championship series.

He won 487 games from 2002-15 with the Wildcats, bringing his career total to 1,174 victories, which ranked 11th-most among active Division I coaches. He ranks 29th among all Division I coaches.

A total of 131 players coached by Lopez throughout his career have signed professional contracts, including an Arizona record seven that were drafted in the first 12 rounds of the 2005 draft.

“But now I am excited for what is ahead for me and my family,” said Lopez. “And I’m excited for the future of Arizona baseball. This is a great program and it will always be.”

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