Justin Lee put the finishing touch on the Bruins’ third consecutive Opening Weekend sweep when the sophomore right-hander struck out his final hitter on a low breaking ball Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

But just a few months ago, it was uncertain whether the Bruins would even get to play on their home field.

“We had the ballpark taken away from us,” said coach John Savage.

The Bruins were barred from Jackie Robinson Stadium for more than a month when a United States district judge deemed UCLA’s lease with the Department of Veterans Affairs for the ballpark illegal since it does not primarily serve veterans.

Now, the Bruins have just one more season guaranteed at the field, according to the same judge’s Oct. 29 ruling.

“I hope these fans get behind this team because they need to come out,” Savage said. “They need to come into Jackie.”

Fans and spectators alike will get their next opportunity Tuesday when UCLA baseball (3-0) takes on BYU (2-2). After the Bruins’ bout with the Cougars, Savage’s team won’t play another game in Brentwood, California until Feb. 25.

“You go throughout the country, and sometimes Tuesday games are just cookies,” Savage said. “But not out here – they’re real games, and they’re real players.”

Wylan Moss will make his first collegiate start Tuesday, Savage said. The freshman right-hander struck out five of the six batters he faced in his Bruin debut Friday.

The coach added that Moss is a future weekend starter, but for now, he’ll be in the bullpen Friday through Sunday and get the nod for a midweek game.

“Obviously, it’ll be a little different when I’m starting and when I’m coming out the pen,” Moss said. “Just being ready for both days and being ready to pitch whenever.”

Savage added that Michael Barnett will make his first appearance – and first relief appearance since 2023 – of the year Friday. The junior right-hander led the team in wins last season and was second in strikeouts and innings pitched but served a weekend-long suspension after being ejected from the Bruins’ second-to-last game of 2024.

Following last season’s 19-33 campaign, Barnett, one of the Bruins’ three team captains this season, said he’s focused on improvement.

“You got to stay with it,” Barnett said. “There’s going to be ups and downs, but staying on track and winning more games than we did last year.”

Four of the six players who made their Bruin debuts over the weekend were either freshmen or transfers, as one might expect. However, the other two were a pair of upperclassmen – junior Jack O’Connor and redshirt junior Josh Alger.

The duo of right-handers have battled injury throughout their times in Westwood, Savage said, with Alger suffering ACL, labrum and UCL injuries.

Sophomore catcher Blake Balsz – who embraced Alger after the final out Saturday – and former Bruins Caedon Kottinger and Cody Schrier all celebrated the debutant on social media following his first collegiate appearance

“Really fun to see Alger, really fun to see O’Connor,” Savage said. “They’ve been through so much rehab. … There’s a lot of support and love for them, and that’s the excitement that you’re seeing.”

Whether it be from the team’s tumultuous fall or the troubles of last season, Savage said experiences of the past year have strengthened the Bruins’ bond – a sentiment shared by redshirt junior left-hander Ian May.

“It’s great – it’s nothing like I’ve experienced before,” May, who transferred from California during the offseason, said. “Really tight group of guys and everybody wants to do it for each other and win.”

Jackie Robinson Stadium isn’t the only uncertainty of the Bruins’ future. Savage is in the final year of his contract, but he said that’s not on his mind as the season gets underway.

“Recreating our identity that we had for a long time – that we didn’t have last year – that’s my main focus,” Savage said.

While no one knows where the Bruins’ 2025 season will end, Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.