Former Arizona Wildcats catcher Cesar Salazar has made the Houston Astros' opening-day roster.
Salazar played for Arizona from 2016-18 and started as a freshman for the '16 club that reached the College World Series finals.
A seventh-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Salazar has spent the past four seasons in the Astros' minor-league system. (Minor-league games were not played in 2020 due to the pandemic.)
Salazar hit .253 with a .327 on-base percentage and 33 home runs in 922 minor-league at-bats. He was a .300 hitter at Arizona, where his greatest value came as a defender, handler of pitchers and clubhouse leader.
Salazar hit .286 in spring training with one home run and seven RBIs in 21 at-bats for the defending World Series champion Astros, who open their season Thursday against the Chicago White Sox.
Former UA standout player and assistant coach Brian Anderson has joined the coaching staff at Northwestern.
Anderson, a product of Canyon del Oro High School, played for Arizona from 2001-03 and capped his career with an All-American campaign. Overall, Anderson hit .342 with 135 runs, 25 doubles, 14 triples, 23 home runs and 130 RBIs for the Wildcats.
A first-round draft pick in '03, Anderson spent five seasons in the majors, mostly with the White Sox.
Anderson spent last season as an undergraduate assistant for the UA and most recently served as an assistant coach for Pima Community College.
Japan comes out victorious in a 3-2 win over the United States during the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday.
