WEST PALM BEACH -- Oxbridge Academy unveiled its new on-campus baseball field at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 20.
In the process, it also revealed the names of the once-anonymous donors who gave $1.8 million to the school's athletic department, paving the way for the facility.
Josh and Jillian Dubin, New York transplants and the parents of two Oxbridge students, were introduced as the mystery donors. Their son, Carter, is a freshman infielder/pitcher for the ThunderWolves.
The Dubins, who live in Wellington, learned of the school in 2024 and made their generous donation in the spring of 2025.
"We were just so impressed with what they've built here at Oxbridge," said Josh Dubin, a nationally renowned civil rights attorney. "We were impressed with not
only their approach to student-athletes, but just the whole person, and how that intersection of academics and sports really develops the whole person.
"It did not hurt that my son was a standout baseball player and came from a program in Brooklyn that had pretty remarkable facilities."
Oxbridge launched its baseball program in 2013, and for years the ThunderWolves have been nomads. While the school's other teams practiced and played on campus, the ThunderWolves had to travel to Dyer Park in West Palm Beach for practices and to Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens for home games.
Senior infielder/pitcher Carlo Vasquez, a four-year varsity player, said it was a "hassle" playing every game away from campus. "We didn't get many people coming out," he said. "We didn't get the experience."
Athletic director Stan Ross and baseball coach Juan Bustabad believe the lack of a home field contributed to the program's struggles in recent years. Bustabad, the school's first baseball coach, was brought back last year in the wake of a 4-13 season, and he led a youthful team to an 8-8 record.
"We've been waiting for this for a long time," Bustabad said, surveying the neatly cut grass, deep outfield fence and spacious dugouts.
"It means opportunity," Ross.said. "It's going to give opportunity for our student-athletes to showcase their skills on our campus, and for all of our students to come out at the end of the school day and watch a baseball game. We're really excited about it. The field's in phenomenal shape and it's beautiful."
And it all started with Josh Dubin's vision. Dubin, executive director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice and founder of Dubin Research and Consulting, said he played high school baseball and "a little semi-pro ball."
"I looked out here and I saw this big, grassy area, and I said, 'Well, what are they doing there?'" he said. "They said, 'We actually have plans to build a baseball field but we just haven't been able to raise (the money).'
"Fortunately, we're in a position where we were able to help. I thought it would be a pretty amazing example to set for our kids, to show that giving back is how you climb. ... I just thought it would be a really remarkable thing to do for the community and for our family."
The field needs a few finishing touches before Oxbridge hosts its first game on Feb. 2 against Miami Ransom-Everglades. The bullpen areas aren't yet completed and a press box will be added behind home plate.
There are no lights, but the structural components are in place if the school decides to add them in the future, Ross said.
During his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dubin said he expects the facility to attract high-level baseball talent to the exclusive private school.
"It's already paid dividends," he said afterward. "There are kids that I know committed to the school that otherwise wouldn't have if we said we played our home games at Cressey and we go to another field to practice. I think that it signifies that this is a serious program that has state-of-the-art facilities."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Oxbridge Academy reveals mystery donors behind new baseball field
