AN UNFAMILIAR taste of bronze concluded one peculiar season for the Blue Eagles. As the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Baseball tournament’s defending champions, Ateneo were the clear frontrunners for the crown in Season 80, having retained and developed most of their championship core from the season prior. But with the previous year proving the tournament to be anyone’s ballgame, the season seemed to be scripted once more for the unexpected.
Season Recap
In retrospect, the Blue Eagles looked unstoppable early on. They opened their title defense with two convincing mercy-rule victories, allowing just three runs in their matches against the University of the Philippines (UP) and National University (NU). However, these masterclass performances set them up for their first defeat at the hands of Adamson University (AdU), who held Ateneo to only three runs, warning of danger to come later on.
Ateneo picked themselves up after the tough loss and recovered with their best display of the season. Dominating a priorly undefeated De La Salle University (DLSU) side, Ateneo classily pounced on every opportunity and responded to each La Salle run to claim a 9-6 victory. Building on the momentum, the Blue Eagles took down the University of Santo Tomas (UST), but stumbled shockingly against a bottom-seeded UP, who garnered their first win all season at the resumption of the second round.
Falling to second on the standings, the Blue Eagles set up a crucial duel with Adamson for a spot behind the Green Archers with two games left. Their usual firepower on offense, however, was shut down once again by the Soaring Falcons, jeopardizing their shot at a sixth straight finals appearance, which placed Ateneo’s last shred of hope on the classic clash of green and blue.
The penultimate match of the elimination round saw Ateneo cling on for dear life in a thriller on the collegiate ballpark. The two storied rivals came out guns-blazing in what would be the most defining match of the season and one for the history books. Both squads scorched the diamond through nine nerve-racking innings, but Ateneo was unable to counter a fiery DLSU run in the eighth, finally yielding the game at 8-11 and their bid for the title.
As the dust settled after the Blue Eagles’ knockout, the Soaring Falcons eventually astonished the baseball community and swept DLSU in the finals to win their first title in eight years, casting a different shade of blue over the league. With disappointment and heartbreak playing the themes at the conclusion of this year’s campaign, the Blue Eagles find themselves back to square one to restart the process of rebuilding.
Looking forward and looking back, the Blue Eagles seem to be in a similar predicament to the situation that characterized the start of their season. The most pressing issue at hand, however, is filling in empty spots on the ballpark to make up for the departure of three players who have said their farewells and played their last innings with the Blue and White.
Dino Altomonte – Catcher
Following in the footsteps of his blue-blooded older siblings, Dino Altomonte becomes the fifth member of his family to retire from the UAAP diamond as a Blue Eagle. Ateneo’s trusted catcher of the last two seasons caps off a prosperous career behind the plate, having scored two championships in four years en route to earning the role of Team Captain as a senior.
A product of the De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ) program and a veteran of Muntinlupa Little League (MLL), Altomonte shared the same field as several collegiate teammates and rivals growing up, which played a key factor in his shift to college baseball. Initially poised to suit up for De La Salle University (DLSU), the captain underwent a change of color and a drastic change of heart as he chose to take his talents to Ateneo instead.
“I was leaning more towards DLSU because my batchmates and the people I’ve played with were going there,” he admits. “But I was drawn in by the culture surrounding sports in Ateneo, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Altomonte made his debut in Season 77 and went on to protect the plate as an understudy behind former starting catcher Dio Remollo in his first two years in the Blue and White jersey. Among the crop of rookies on the squad that slammed the last gold of the three-peat championship era back in 2014, he credits his first taste of the UAAP title to be his most fulfilling memory and the finest moment of his career.
“I felt like I made the right choice going to Ateneo,” Altomonte says. “After seeing the veterans play, it was a legacy I wanted to work for in the coming years.
Showing guts and grit at home plate for two seasons, Altomonte finally won the distinction as Coach Randy Dizer’s regular starter in his junior year, finding more weight thrust on his shoulders at a crucial spot on the infield. Armed with a cannon for an arm, the catcher proved his value to the Ateneo battery, holding down the fort with quick-thinking and a knack for delivering tough calls.
[Top Sixth] And it's gone!!! Altomonte lasers a monstrous home run to left field! 🏠🏃♂️
Ateneo doubles its lead!
Ateneo 4 NU 0#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/tGS9UUD1Jk
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) February 25, 2018
In the aftermath of an emotional final season, the captain may have run his last lap around the bases missing the same weight of gold that glorified his first years on the college diamond, but Altomonte holds little regret behind as he retires his jersey and salutes the squad that has turned into family.
Enzo Orbeta – Outfield
Having lent his services to three championship squads over the course of a four-season run, supersenior Enzo Orbeta calls it a day after a lifetime of ups and downs on the baseball field. A standout among the class of rookies guided by the first generations of the Ateneo baseball dynasty, Orbeta graduates as the last remaining member of the squad that scored the second gold of the three-peat era back in Season 76.
Growth, struggle, and triumph serve as the key themes for the veteran, who crosses the finish line after a roller-coaster career as a Blue Eagle. A graduate of La Salle Greenhills and a mainstay at the International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM), Orbeta has been seasoned by the toughest trials on the local diamond but similarly acknowledges his first collegiate gold as perhaps his most defining moment.
“UAAP is weird. It isn’t your regular championship game,” he recalls. “There was pressure that I never felt before, and finally winning the game just felt amazing, like all our hard work finally paid off, and it was super surreal.”
Moving from the infield in high school to catcher as a college rookie, Orbeta eventually found his niche on the outfield in the latter years of his Ateneo career, known for manning the outskirts of the ballpark and swatting bombs from the plate. An untimely hamstring tear, however, took the Blue Eagle out of action a few months shy of his junior season, sidelining him from the redemptive championship campaign in Season 79.
Despite the misgivings about being cut because of a minor injury, Orbeta stood by his squad in the quest for gold, providing full support from behind the scenes as he took his first steps on the road to recovery. After sticking religiously to an exercise program, the outfielder suited up in the Blue and White for the last time in Season 80, announcing his return to the league with a thunderous homerun in his first at bat.
[Bottom Second] Orbeta takes a huge swing and knocks it out of the park for a two-run homerun!
Ateneo 10 UP 0#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/BQynE4j3A9
— Jamie S. Katigbak (@Jamie_TheGUIDON) February 4, 2018
Although the final notes of his swan song may not have ended in ideal fashion, the supersenior exits the collegiate diamond satisfied with both personal and team milestones attained. All things considered, disappointment in one season can do little to discourage a spirited athlete who has learned plenty about life beyond the ballpark in both victory and defeat.
“More often than not, we tend to become too serious about certain things. For me, just balance it out,” Orbeta shares. “We need to learn to live in the moment a bit more. If an opportunity presents itself, grab it.”
Marquis Alindogan – 2B
Marquis Alindogan has sung an anthem of proficiency throughout his three playing years, with consistency and reliability being the key words for the graduating senior. Having developed as a baseball player back in Seattle, Washington, Alindogan has added a foreign touch to the Blue Eagle infield since his debut in Season 78, eventually growing into an integral member of the starting lineup as his career progressed.
Donning the Blue and White for the first time as a sophomore, Alindogan made an instant offensive and defensive impact, operating at second base with deadly poise while providing pure firepower from the bottom of the batting order. Although the gold eluded him as a rookie, the infielder played a vital role in Ateneo’s success a year later to earn his first collegiate crown as a junior in Season 79.
“Winning the championship was the pinnacle of all our sacrifices,” admits Alindogan. “It really shaped us as better people because we learned from all of our previous successes and failures to get to where we were.”
With the trophy back in the Blue Eagles’ grasp for the first time since the three-peat era, the task of filling an empty captain’s position became even more critical to the defense of the throne. However, impressive showings and promising statistics despite a relatively young age in the Ateneo jersey eventually prompted Head Coach Randy Dizer to place the helm in the hands of his trusted second baseman in order to replicate the magic in Season 80.
Despite the honor of winning such a distinction as a Blue Eagle and an athlete, Alindogan lacked the confidence early on and found it difficult to accept the responsibility. Initially discouraged by personal doubts and the daunting challenge of leadership, Alindogan then took the challenge head on and played his best season statistically, looking back on the feat as an undeniable learning experience.
[Bottom Seventh] Alindogan ends the game, making it a 10-run game game to invoke mercy rule after sending Mallari home for the score.
Ateneo 13 UP 3#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/zhZHwiWuv4
— Jamie S. Katigbak (@Jamie_TheGUIDON) February 4, 2018
“Fast forward to my last playing year, I was kind of handed the keys to the program and was entrusted to lead the team as captain,” he says. “I learned that confidence is something we all already have. We just have to have faith and trust in our abilities.”
Leaving behind a legacy of excellence beyond the bottom of the ninth, Alindogan moves on to prospects both within and outside the baseball diamond as his last voyage as captain comes to a close. Although the infielder has received an invitation to the national team training pool, Alindogan envisions himself as an airline pilot down the stretch, implying that he will be soaring to new heights on whatever path the future has in store.
[Top Fourth] Ateneo scores! Alindogan blasts a massive double down the line to right field, scoring Sarmiento!
Ateneo 3 UST 1#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/5WuWqSnYyQ
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) March 7, 2018
The future
The key to continuity is compensation, which means that whoever finds themselves in the empty catcher, right-fielder, and second baseman position must be capable of holding their own as a possibly permanent starter. Much like how this year’s crop of Blue Eagles dealt with the absences of Gino Tantuico and Renzo Ramos entering Season 80, the recipe for success heading into the next campaign will be developing an integral nine that can make it count on the field and at the plate.
Season 80 saw the debut of some new names in the Blue and White jersey and the emergence of familiar faces into more prominent roles on the diamond. Despite a disappointing finish to cap off the season, perhaps the most striking takeaway that Ateneo can earn from the bronze is that delivery is important than depth. Inasmuch as it helps to have back-ups for every position, each player must be capable of delivering when it matters most.
Pitching prowess
Undoubtedly, the essential ingredient in Ateneo’s recipe for success has been a defense anchored by Paulo Macasaet from the mound. Although the senior has solidified a show-stopping reputation across four incredible seasons in the league, Macasaet succumbed to fatigue this year after shouldering the brunt of pitcher’s duties for several consecutive games, proving himself to be human after all.
Despite consistent production, it is difficult for a pitcher to maintain the same level of performance throughout nine innings for several matches on end, which presents a tough dilemma. The team’s security blanket should ideally be a steady set of backups in the bullpen to grant ample rest time for the ace while still dictating the match at the same pace from the mound, meaning that an over-reliance on Macasaet may then have been the limiting reagent to the team’s success this year.
The Blue Eagles boast a highly-talented array of experienced relief pitchers, each of whom showed flashes of brilliance but coughed up critical runs at crucial moments in the season. The need for veteran experience in dangerous situations compelled the coaching staff to leave Macasaet in charge for entire matches on numerous occasions, burning him out and hence costing a couple of games. Thus, the continuous development of the Blue Eagle bullpen will be a focal point in the offseason.
The last game of Season 80 was a hopeful precursor of things to come, serving as a launching pad for the pitching ammunition. Macasaet sat out the match to give the stage to Miggy Angeles and Nacho Lozano, allowing the seasoned duo to split duties and hold down the fort successfully versus UST. Lozano and Angeles have made huge strides over the past season, but will need step up their game to fit a bigger role in the coming year, especially against hard-swinging teams like Adamson and La Salle.
[Top Sixth] Angeles strikes out Gonzales to retire the side.
Ateneo 6 UST 3#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/0xfnoqU419
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) February 18, 2018
[Bottom Eighth] Beautifully crafted double play from Lozano extinguishes the danger and ends the inning!
Ateneo 8 UST 7#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/naW1OwD8Ha
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) March 7, 2018
Rookies Nico Lozano and Luis Estacio impressed despite playing just two games apiece, with the younger Lozano making a statement after a composed close-out of NU in the second round. Entering their sophomore season, Lozano and Estacio will definitely need to bolster their impact on the rotation in order to ease weight off the shoulders of their primary pitchers, thereby reducing the frequency of Macasaet’s deployment on the mound.
Replacing lost firepower
Despite Ateneo owning one of the most loaded and power-heavy batting orders, the jury is out on whether the squad’s improvements this summer can match or even surpass what firepower was lost. The silver lining is that the first third of the Blue Eagles’ batting order remains intact, with Radito Banzon, Marco Mallari, and Javi Macasaet bannering the Ateneo offense. Serious repairs, however, need to be made to plug holes on the lower half of the lineup.
The biggest blow will be the departure of Alindogan, who manufactured hits at a staggering clip as the team’s most consistent batter. The captain’s reliability at the plate reached its peak in Season 80, but performances like these will have to be carried out by his aspiring successors in the coming season. If Ateneo wants to re-establish its reputation as an offensive juggernaut, then the task of landing hits should be fulfilled by the entirety of the batting order instead of by a few hot hitters on their own.
[Top Eighth] Mallari opens the inning with a hard hit past the infield!
Ateneo 3 AdU 4#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/Brlgx1To7G
— Jamie S. Katigbak (@Jamie_TheGUIDON) February 28, 2018
[Top Eighth] Mallari opens the inning with a hard hit past the infield!
Ateneo 3 AdU 4#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/Brlgx1To7G
— Jamie S. Katigbak (@Jamie_TheGUIDON) February 28, 2018
Tres Sarmiento and Fausto Eizmendi displayed promise at the plate despite a slow start to their season, managing to put up numbers when needed. Similarly, Gio Salvatierra was largely quiet with the bat until coming alive offensively in the nick of time against the Green Archers. Rare moments of magic have proven that the Blue Eagles are capable of catching fire, but their downfall has proven over and over again to be failing to do so in time.
Infield versatility
With the losses of Alindogan as primary second baseman Altomonte as catcher, the Blue Eagles will have to make a couple of adjustments on the infield. Substitute Lean Ramos saw limited minutes this season but has patiently played the faithful role of backup, much like how Altomonte did for Dio Remollo before receiving the starting position as a junior. Despite only entering his second playing year in the league, the incoming senior will likely fill in the vacant slot at home in his fourth year.
The loss of Orbeta leaves the right-field spot empty, meaning a starting outfield position is up for grabs for the second time in two years. Incoming junior Enrico Untalan has worked wonders as a substitute off the bench for the last two years, making him a prime contender for the spot, but rookie Rodrigo Bitong might be another face to look out for, having showed potential with a steady glove in quality minutes as a reserve.
The undisputed and unsung hero of the team this year was sophomore Kiko Andaya, who has served as a more than dependable second string shortstop behind Dan Laurel. With Laurel out of action during several games this season, Andaya answered the call and proved his worth as a utility infielder with a steady glove, meshing nicely alongside third baseman Javi Macasaet on the Blue Eagles’ first line of defense.
[Bottom Seventh] Fly out to Mallari and a J. Macasaet throw out gets two straight outs.
Ateneo 8 UST 7#UAAPBaseball pic.twitter.com/s0ZYlcWSFG
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) March 7, 2018
In addition, rookie Tres Sarmiento established his presence on both ends of the ball game, earning several starts on first base and making noise as a capable hitter. Sarmiento slammed his way to become a suitable sub for Gio Salvatierra on the bag, but both basemen might see limited innings following the return of Gino Tantuico in his senior season.
