The first round of the 2025 NCAA Division I baseball tournament came to a close on Monday, with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ alma mater making it through to the next round.
The UCLA Bruins secured their spot in the Super Regionals last Sunday by winning all three of their games in the Los Angeles Regional, including a victory against UC Irvine in the finale.
The Bruins now are be hosting a Super Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium, with their first matchup on Saturday against the UTSA Roadrunners.
“I’m excited. Very excited. I exchanged texts with Coach Savage,” Roberts said. “Given what that baseball program has gone through this year with Jackie Robinson Stadium and things like that, the uncertainty going forward, the coaches, Coach Savage and the players have done a fantastic job of staying focused on winning and getting to the College World Series.
“So they’re two wins away. Got a big series at home at Jackie, so I’m really rooting for those guys.”
The adversity that Roberts alluded to was the uncertain future of Jackie Robinson Stadium itself. The 10 acres of land leased to UCLA on which the stadium sits mandates that it predominantly focus on service to veterans.
Back in September of last year, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled that the terms of the lease were violated and ordered that the stadium be closed. He temporarily lifted the order on Oct. 28, 2024, restoring UCLA’s access to Jackie Robinson Stadium through July 4, 2025 so the team could complete this season at their usual home.
Beyond that, the future of Jackie Robinson Stadium is unknown.
Entering the tournament as the No. 15 ranked team in the country, the Bruins earned the right to host one of the 16 regionals in the NCAA tournament after finishing with a 45-16 record and 22-8 in the Big 10 conference. It was enough to grab a share of the Big Ten title in their first year in the conference.
Dave Roberts honored during UCLA rivalry game
Roberts has not been shy about his support for the Bruins, as he was on hand at the Rose Bowl for their crosstown rivalry game against the USC Trojans shortly after winning the 2024 World Series.
UCLA played a Dodgers World Series highlights video and introduced Roberts out of the tunnel, where he was met by Bruins baseball head coach John Savage and other dignitaries. Savage presented Roberts with a custom UCLA football jersey that was No. 24 and had “WS CHAMPS” as the last name.
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