WITH EVERY new season comes a fresh start. While some teams will be looking to improve and build on their performances from last season, the Ateneo Blue Batters will be doing the exact opposite, as they instead try to cement themselves into history. The Ateneans on the diamond are determined to replicate their performances in the past two seasons by winning a third straight championship.

It’s hard to think what else the back-to-back defending champions can do to further improve on their past campaigns and stay ahead of their competitors. But with the right mix of experience and talent, this year’s team surely has new tricks up its sleeves that will allow them to remain on top once more.

Preparing for battle

The official University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) baseball season is a fairly short tournament that runs from January to February. In spite of this, however, preparations and practices are usually carried out well in advance and almost always last throughout the entire year. This is done in order to ensure a team’s maximum performance during the season. The Ateneo Blue Batters are no exception to this rigorous offseason regimen, especially after being crowned champions two years in a row.

Team Co-captain Iñigo Untalan shares that the Blue Batters constantly strive for success by playing to the best of their abilities despite being the two-time defending champions. “The challenge, really, is to get better everyday and to strive to get better everyday.” He adds that the expectations coming into the season entails a more cerebral approach into their preparations. “We’re ready and we know we’re capable of winning another championship. The teams we’re going up against are better, and with the core of the team still intact, [our opponents] know us already.”

The Blue Batters practice three times a week during Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, focusing on becoming less predictable to their opponents. They also joined pre-season tournaments held both inside and outside of the country to remain in top shape. Just last month, they took part in both the Philippine Sports Commission Chairman’s (PSC) Baseball Classic and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Invitational Tournament. The former was held in the country’s very own Rizal Baseball Field in Manila while the latter was an international competition held in the city of Hong Kong. Proving their competitiveness even outside of the college ranks, Ateneo performed well in both tournaments, as they placed fourth in the PSC Chairman’s Baseball Classic and first in the WBSC Invitational.

Aside from keeping their skills sharp, Untalan assures that their camaraderie as a team is unmatched and can get them to accomplish what they want. He expresses that the team’s mindset coming into this season is not just to collect gold for the Ateneo. He emphasized that the team must work together as united as possible. “The end goal is to get better as a team and as individuals, not just a shiny trophy,” Untalan says.

Playing and winning as a team

It’s no secret that the stakes are much higher coming into this season, with the possibility of a three-peat. The goal may seem the same on paper, but the Blue Batters acknowledge the fact that this may be their hardest run yet. “The word [of a three-peat] has been thrown around since the university got a hold of its first championship,” says Untalan. “For us players, we try not to think about it. We just want to get better as individuals and as a team; we want to go out there and give it our all and live with the results.”

It will be a momentous run if the Blue Batters pull off a Season 77 championship as they’ll be among the ranks of University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University and Far Eastern University in winning at least three or more consecutive titles. “Winning once is history for Ateneo, winning twice affirms that history, and winning thrice preserves history,” shares Team Co-captain and supersenior Adriane Bernardo. “As my brother and our coach [Bocc Bernardo] would always say, ‘We should stay number one and never settle for number two.’”

In order to be able to reach even greater heights this season, Bernardo recognizes that it will have to be all hands on deck. The team wishes to match Adamson’s most recent dynasty of three straight championships, established a few years ago. Despite losing key players whose performances made last year’s first year finish possible, Ateneo still holds a significant edge in skill as a result of a strong recruiting class and the continuous improvement of the remnants from the 2014 team. “We hope to make each and every player contribute, see their potential and become one with the team for the next years to come. This is especially [true] to the freshmen and sophomores who still have a long way to go,” says Bernardo.

While Season 76 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Andy Tan and Rookie of the Year Miguel Dumlao are both expected for strong performances once more, newcomer pitcher Pau Macasaet will also be anticipated to contribute immediately. Macasaet led the Ateneo High School to a strong UAAP campaign in his senior year last season. The freshman was recently awarded the Best Pitcher award in the newly concluded PSC Chairman’s Baseball Classic. Macasaet is among the nine rookies who will don the Blue and White in this year’s title defense.

Living up to expectations

Coming into this year, the targets on the backs of the Blue Batters are as big as the team has ever seen. “We are expecting that every team is prepared to beat us,” shares Bernardo. “Three-peat is a very difficult thing to do. Pressure now is a lot more because of all the teams hungry to beat us.”

Staying true to the saying that pressure makes diamonds, the Ateneo Blue Batters should not be expected to shy away from tougher competition. “We all know that we have an advantage in terms of talent and the only ones that can outdo us is ourselves,” says Bernardo.

With the mental aspect of their title defense, the team is expected to not force anything and stick true to their specialties. Most winning programs, whether in the collegiate or professional ranks, are able to maintain their success by taking games one day and win at a time. When a team is expected to perform in such a high level, most players have the tendency to go off track in the desire to produce quick and easy results that allow them to live up to the expectations of others. Some try to do more than they can or should while others develop unnecessary competition within the team.

Bernardo believes that being able to avoid these things will be the key to success given the nature of the game of Baseball and its deep correlation with teamwork. “We have our own [responsibilities] and all we have to do is do our job. We do not have to outperform one another,” he shares. The success in this sport is after all hinged on the capability of players to play their positions to the utmost of their abilities.

Untalan contemplates that there is no room for complacency as they are eager for a great season ahead. “Our opponents have gotten better in every asset of their game and we’d like to think that so have we. We’re just looking forward to compete against the best collegiate players in the country.”

He adds that the Ateneo community can expect nothing short of an all out team effort, “We know our roles on the team and each player looks forward to do his part and hopefully win another for the Blue and White.”

Winning a back-to-back championship is truly an amazing achievement, but now that the window is open for a three-peat, the Ateneo Blue Batters have their eyes on the prize once more. The pressure is higher and the competition is stiffer, but don’t expect that championship window to close anytime soon. The boys in Blue and White are out to make sure that this year’s run will be one that the history books won’t ever forget.

Updated on: Feb 17, 2015 at 4:36PM