Many familiar names dot the rosters for the upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifier in Tucson — including a former Arizona Wildcat.
Left-hander Rio Gomez, who pitched for Arizona from 2015-17, is part of the staff for Colombia, which features several current and recent major-league players.
Colombia is one of four teams vying for two spots in the 2026 WBC. The others are Brazil, China and Germany.
They will play a with day-night doubleheaders from March 2-4 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium. The first-place team will advance, as will the winner of the game between the second- and third-place teams on March 6.
Colombia has by far the most recognizable roster.
Gomez was a member of Arizona’s 2016 squad that finished as the national runner-up. Over three seasons at the UA, Gomez compiled a 10-6 record with one save and a 3.80 ERA. He struck out 80 batters in 90 innings.
People are also reading…

Former Arizona pitcher Rio Gomez is again representing Colombia in the World Baseball Classic. Colombia is one of four teams headed to Tucson for the March 2-6 WBC qualifier.
The Boston Red Sox selected Gomez in the 2017 MLB Draft, and he spent six-plus seasons in their organization, advancing as high as triple-A. Gomez, 30, played for the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League last year. He went 5-3 with 94 strikeouts in 92â…“ innings, leading the team in appearances (63) and ERA (1.17).
Gomez, who’s from Phoenix, represented Colombia in the 2023 WBC.
Gomez’s teammate include MLB veterans Jose Quintana, Julio Teheran, Gio Urshela, Harold Ramirez and Jorge Alfaro
Quintana, 36, has pitched for seven teams across 13 MLB seasons, most recently playing for the New York Mets. He has a 102-103 career record with a 3.74 ERA.
Teheran, 34, has 13 seasons of MLB experience, including nine with the Atlanta Braves. He has an 81-82 record with a 3.85 ERA.
Urshela, 33, signed with the Athletics in December. The infielder has 73 career home runs and a .273 batting average entering his 10th MLB season.

New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana delivers against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Oct. 9, 2024, in New York.
Ramirez, 30, has logged six MLB seasons. He has 38 career home runs with a .285 average.
Alfaro, 31, last played in the majors in 2023. The Miami Marlins’ primary catcher in 2018 and ’19, Alfaro has 48 career home runs with a .253 average.
Brazil’s roster includes the sons of two former major-league stars.
Dante Bichette Jr. was selected by the New York Yankees with the 51st overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft. Bichette, 32, never made it to the majors. His father, Dante Bichette, played from 1988-2001, slugging 274 home runs with a .299 average with the Colorado Rockies and four other teams. Dante Jr.’s younger brother, Bo, plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lucas Ramirez is the son of 12-time MLB All-Star Manny Ramirez. Lucas, 19, was selected by the Angels in the 17th round of last year’s draft. but decided to turn pro. Manny Ramirez hit 555 career home runs with Boston, Cleveland and three other teams from 1993-2011.

USC right-hander Jaden Agassi delivers a pitch against Santa Clara on Feb. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Germany is headlined by the progeny of two famous athletes. Jaden Agassi — — pitched for USC from 2021-23. Agassi, 23, had a promising season in the MLB Draft League last year, posting a 2.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings.
Germany’s pitching staff also features eight-year MLB reliever Nick Wittgren. Wittgren, 33, pitched for four teams from 2016-23, compiling a 20-15 record with six saves and a 4.04 ERA.
China’s roster includes left-hander Jeremy Wu-Yelland, Boston’s fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Wu-Yelland, 25, is still part of the Red Sox organization, having compiled a 4-5 record with a 4.61 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 113⅓ innings. He played college ball at Hawaii.
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social