WATCH: USC Basketball star JuJu Watkins threw out the first pitch of the Dodgers vs Angels game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium
JuJu Watkins is one of the most prominent female basketball players in the world, and the Los Angeles Dodgers had her out to the stadium to throw out the first pitch. On June 22, she got the chance to show the world whether or not she had skills in baseball as well as basketball.
Watkins strolled out to the mound, wound up, and delivered the ball to home plate. The crowd went wild as the announcers congratulated her and wished her another solid season at USC.
This was a very fitting first pitch. USC is not directly tied to the Los Angeles area, but it's another prominent athletic staple of the southern California region. Additionally, the Dodgers picked a good game to have her, as another California team was the road team: The Los Angeles Angels.
While JuJu Watkins was there on behalf of and representing the Dodgers, there is also a connection to the Angels, making her presence and the first pitch that much more appropriate. Her college basketball season doesn't begin for a while as the NCAA Women's Tournament just wrapped up in April.
Dodgers bounce back after JuJu Watkins' first pitch
The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to keep the momentum flowing after that first pitch. They'd lost the first game of a two-game set against the Angels, as the offense went quiet after Shohei Ohtani's early home run and they lost 3-2 in extra innings.
They bounced back in the game that saw a Juju Watkins first pitch, though. The offense played much better, scoring seven runs and winning by five. Ohtani hit another huge home run and added a walk as well.
Miguel Rojas (filling in for Mookie Betts while he recovers from a broken wrist), Cavan Biggio, and Gavin Lux all had multi-hit days. The back end of the Dodgers' lineup has been much-maligned this year for their lack of production, but they stepped up in a big way to prevent a shocking sweep at the hands of the 30-45 Angels, who fell to 30-46.