On Saturday night, the University of Washington football team beat the University of Michigan by a score of 27-17 at Husky Stadium.

Now, the game didn’t have as much meaning as last season’s national championship game, which was won by the Wolverines, but it was still a great win for the Huskies.

First, the unranked Huskies got a win over the No. 10 team in the country. Second, it was the first signature win for Washington as a member of the reimagined Big Ten Conference.

And Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez was in attendance to see it, as he performed the pre-game “Sounding of the Siren” for the crowd.

No matter how Rodriguez plays on the field, it’s readily apparent how much he loves the Seattle community and how much it means to him. He appeared at Washington games last season as the Huskies played their way to the title game, and he’s appeared at Seattle Seahawks games as well.

The 23-year-old Rodriguez is coming off an interesting season for the Mariners, who went 85-77 and missed the playoffs by 1.0 game. He started out incredibly slow and finished incredibly hot. His final numbers are very respectable, as he hit .273 with 20 homers and 24 stolen bases, but he’ll fight for more consistent results in 2025.

One of the best young players in baseball, Rodriguez is already a two-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger. He has 80 career home runs and 86 career stolen bases. He also plays an excellent defensive centerfield.

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