“LIFE WITHOUT baseball is unimaginable,” says Nikko Dizer (MBA), captain of the Blue Batters. Kristine Drilon (III AB IS), captain of the Lady Batters, shares the sentiment. Both captains have had the passion for the sport as long as they can remember.

Nikko was born with baseball pulsing through his veins. Following the footsteps of his grandfather and father, the backbones of his passion for the sport, this Blue Batter had found his niche in the diamond at an early age.

As early as six years old, he had learned the tricks of the trade. By 11, he was already going places, making a name for himself abroad.

Kristine, better known as Krissie, also found fulfillment in the field at an early age. She began taking softball seriously during her fifth grade in Saint Pedro Poveda College and has never looked back since. The numerous awards she has garnered are a testament to the commitment she has poured out in improving her game further.

Her stints in the International Little League Association of Manila gave her the perfect springboard to showcase her talents. She has carried the SEA Youth Baseball and Softball team on an MVP-caliber performance, carrying the label of Home Run Derby Queen for three years. All these achievements while being the varsity’s team captain throughout high school.

Going Places

On one of his international stints, Nikko was sent to Japan. He came back home impressed. “The Japanese take baseball really seriously, they have made it a significant part of their lives,” he recalls.

He hopes that the sport he loves would find itself back onto the map of the Philippine mainstream, once a prominent fixture during the period of American colonization. Those were the days when kids and kids at heart would find an open field, a ball, a bat, and a couple of gloves and sweat it out under the heat of the sun.

Nikko has also witnessed the growth of the sport in the provinces. Whenever his teams play against their Visayas and Mindanao counterparts, he sees a lot of promise for the development of the sport in the country. “We can match up on a world-class level.”

And rightfully so. He has already represented the Asian-Pacific Region in the Senior League World Series, where all the topnotch youth batters came together in competitive spirit.

Back home, he is engaged in Baseball Philippines, a new league formed back in April 2007. Currently, Nikko is playing for the Batangas Bulls, primarily composed of Ateneo and UP batters. While the approach of the game is recreational, he still takes every opportunity to hone his craft for the coming UAAP wars.

Big Catch

As long as he can remember, Nikko has played the catcher’s role for almost every team he has played for. So when Ateneo recruited him for the team, he knew what they wanted from him and what he would be giving them.

“The catcher is the most tiring position,” he says. “I am the one giving signals to my teammates, especially the pitcher. Think of it like an on-field coach.” Despite the high expectations, Nikko likes the added responsibility once he steps in from the dugout.

“It feels good to assert myself, to be vocal and to let my teammates know that there is a lot of trust between us,” he adds. In telling them what he wants to happen, and how to execute it, he is able to affect the tempo of play.

Krissie also lives for the opportunity to be the team’s catcher. After coming home with the Rookie of the Year plum, she continues to make her presence felt in more ways than one.

“I love playing the position, being able to lead the team, positioning my teammates and giving ourselves a better opportunity to win,” she says.

For Nikko, the transition from catcher to second base in the coming season is a challenge he is ready to accept. “During my freshman year, I was a follower, but at the same time, I was told to speak my mind. There has to be constant communication to make things work,” he stresses.

Krissie also realized early on that much was expected from her. “Our former team captain, Cheska Bautista (AB PoS ’07), sat us down and told us what it was like when we will be in her position. That we would have to prepare ourselves and start setting expectations for our teammates to be better as well,” she says.

She also cited discipline as a key element that would carry them to success, and that it will take everyone’s 100% to get the team further from last year’s finish.

During game time, both captains let it all out. No pre-game rituals, only warm-ups, and a prayer offering. They acknowledge that there is no room or error in the heat of the game.

Stepping up to the plate

The role of team captain has changed the way Nikko deals with his team for the better. In building his character, he has been able to overcome the challenges he experiences when playing. “Both my ankles are always prone to injuries. I have been strengthening it, but it is also important to learn to play through the pain.”

And though defeat is a constant adversary, Nikko tries to see the silver lining in it. “Honestly, I don’t like losing, nobody does, but what really matters is that you play and enjoy the game, no matter what the score says.”

Krissie has also had her spate of injuries, and though she has been sidelined with a slight MCL tear that kept her in crutches at times during the past year, she has found ways to make her presence continually felt.

“My temper has improved and I am becoming more patient with the rookies. I take every chance to see them become more serious and passionate, because that shows when we play.”

Both leaders have also made it a point to practice and train harder, leading their respective teams by example, the best way they can. The only way to improve is to understand that baseball is a learning process. “You don’t just get it,” Nikko says. And while he values talent, it is still chemistry that keeps the team together on the road to beat the best, to be the best.

Being the true athletes that they are, Nikko and Krissie exemplify the winning spirit that keeps their teammates motivated and looking upward. Their forgettable finishes in last year’s UAAP season are all in the past, and they can look at it with humility, knowing that they will be working their way from the bottom up.

For the Lady Batter, her advice to the budding talents is straightforward. “Just work hard and don’t give up.”

“UP, UST, Adamson, all these teams are the favorites coming into the UAAP season, but we want to give ourselves a chance and play well,” Nikko says. A final four finish would be the overall measure of their success this year.

In the end, baseball has become more than a sport to this Blue Batter. He constantly sees it as a constant stepping stone to succeeding in life outside the diamond. “Never settle with what you have and who you are right now. There is no limit to your potential.”

Spoken with the confidence of a true champion.