THE ATENEO Baseball team will look to make history this UAAP Season 78 as the first team to win four championships in a row. However, the team’s goal of a four-peat is easier said than done. The road towards that first-place finish gets tougher each year, as the team continues to hold the title of defending champions.
The departure of six veterans from last year’s squad certainly does not help. Last year’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Andy Tan and Best Slugger Matt Laurel have both maxed out their playing years. The team will also be without the services of veterans Chip Esguerra and Pelos Remollo, and last season’s team captains, Adriane Bernardo and Iñigo Untalan.
Nonetheless, current Team Captain Ryon Tionloc is confident of the team’s chance for another championship this season. “We’re heading into this season young with a lot to prove. But I know that our determination, hard work and teamwork will help us through it all,” he says.
They will look to make history this UAAP Season 78 as the first team to win four championships in a row. However, their goal of a four-peat is easier said than done.
To offset the loss of their graduating players, Tionloc expects the likes of former Rookie of the Year Miguel Dumlao and former Juniors MVP Paulo Macasaet to lead the team in pitching. The offensive void left by guys like Laurel will be hard to replicate, but Tionloc says it is now the responsibility of the whole lineup to step up and deliver.
In addition, the Blue Eagles have recruited seven promising rookies to the team. The quartet of Kai Furusawa, Kouichi Igarashi, Marquis Alindogan, and Ryan Hilario will all by playing this season after serving their residency. Rounding out this year’s recruiting class are Gino Tantuico from De La Salle Zobel, Nacho Lozano from La Salle Greenhills, and Javi Macasaet and Marco Mallari from the Ateneo de Manila High School.
The departure of several key players, coupled with the improvement of other teams, means the target on the team’s back is bigger than ever. However, Tionloc said this only motivates the team to get stronger and better each year. “With the addition of our new recruits, we still have a good shot at winning this year,” he says. “We just have to be humble and stay hungry throughout it all.”
