Arizona baseball head coach Andy Lopez had open heart surgery on Oct. 7 at Tucson Medical Center and will be ready for the start of the regular season.

The UA announced on Wednesday that he has been recovering well and will make a full return to coaching in January for preseason practices.

Lopez will take the rest of fall practice season off to rest. Assistant coaches Shaun Cole and Matt Siegel have stepped in for Lopez.

Lopez is entering his 13th season at the UA. He coached the Wildcats to the 2012 National Championships and two College World Series appearances.

Athletics Director Greg Byrne said in a press release that he is proud of the progress Lopez has made since surgery.

“He is one of the best baseball coaches in the country and we are glad that he will be our coach for many years to come,” Byrne said.

The season begins Feb. 14, 2014 against Kent State at Hi Corbett Field.

— Follow Megan Coghlan @MeganCoghlan