MLP San Diego Playoffs Heat Up: The Major League Pickleball playoffs continue on Saturday, August 16, at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California. Teams in both the Premier and Challenger levels will compete in best-of-three series to secure spots in next week’s DoorDash MLP Finals in New York City.
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Saturday’s Matchups
The Premier Level quarterfinals feature four key battles. The No. 8 Orlando Squeeze face the top-seeded St. Louis Shock, who already lead the series 1-0. The No. 5 Columbus Sliders meet the No. 2 Dallas Flash, with Dallas also holding a 1-0 advantage. The No. 7 Texas Ranchers go up against the No. 3 New Jersey 5s. The No. 6 Los Angeles Mad Drops challenge the No. 4 Brooklyn Pickleball Team.
In the Challenger Level, the No. 5 Bay Area Breakers will meet the No. 1 Las Vegas Night Owls. The No. 3 California Black Bears face the Nashville Chefs. Winners from both levels move forward to the finals in New York from August 22 to 24.
Brooklyn’s Key Return
Brooklyn Pickleball Team will have a major boost as Dekel Bar returns after a rib injury kept him out since June. During his absence, AJ Koller stepped in and helped the team lock down a top-four playoff seed. Bar will reunite with Riley Newman in men’s doubles and pair with Rachel Rohrabacher in mixed doubles as Brooklyn faces Los Angeles.
New Jersey and Texas Rivalry
The Dallas Flash selected Columbus as their quarterfinal opponent, leaving New Jersey to play Texas. This creates a repeat of last year’s postseason matchup between the New Jersey 5s and Texas Ranchers. New Jersey won their 2024 semifinal clash and aims to repeat that success. Texas barely advanced after a tight 21-19 DreamBreaker win against the Miami Pickleball Club on Friday. The Ranchers have lost all three of their matches against New Jersey this season but remain capable of an upset with their talent.
California’s Winning Streak
The California Black Bears enter Saturday on a six-match winning run dating back to the MLP Salt Lake City event. Their midseason trade for Martin Emmrich from the Miami Pickleball Club has paid off. Emmrich has posted an 8-3 record since joining and will be crucial as California battles Nashville in the Challenger semifinals.
What’s Next
Saturday’s winners will head to New York for the finals, where the best from the Premier and Challenger levels will compete for the championship title. With returning stars, heated rivalries, and teams on hot streaks, Saturday promises to be a key moment in this year’s playoffs.
News in Brief: MLP San Diego Playoffs Heat Up
The MLP Playoffs continue Saturday in San Diego with Premier quarterfinals and Challenger semifinals. Key storylines include Dekel Bar’s return for Brooklyn, the New Jersey–Texas postseason rivalry, and California’s six-match winning streak led by Martin Emmrich. Winners will advance to the finals in New York next week.
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