STEPPING INTO the transition from the high school infield to the collegiate baseball diamond is no easy feat for the average ball player, but it’s a challenge that pitcher Paulo Macasaet has surmounted over the past three seasons to immortalize his name in the history books of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Anchoring the defense with a cannon for an arm and boasting one of the most lethal fastballs in the league, the pitcher has affirmed his identity as one of the UAAP’s most dominant forces on the mound, earning the reputation of the Blue Eagles most prized possession in their arsenal inside the college bullpen.

Atenean roots

Hailing from the Ateneo de Manila High School baseball program, Macasaet is no stranger to donning the school’s name, with the Blue and White adhering as second skin to the pitcher as a decorated UAAP Juniors graduate. Macasaet scored his first taste of gold on the UAAP diamond in his junior year of high school, leading his squad to victory in the championships of the Juniors division back in Season 75, where he bagged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award to leave a glorious and lasting mark on the field. Having shared the same infield and battery as his younger brother Javi before his college debut, the diamond and the mound feel like more than home to the pitcher as he continues to tally kills at the plate in the country’s top collegiate athletic league.

But despite dominating the competition’s statistics as the UAAP’s reigning Finals MVP, the road to the reputation and the glory have long been a work in progress. Macasaet’s journey towards wielding one of the most fearsome arms in the competition transcends innings and seasons, highlighting exposure on both the local and international diamond as prime factors in the player’s development and maturity.

Entering the UAAP Seniors division in his rookie season as one of the most decorated and heavily recruited stalwarts, Macasaet shared the spotlight in his first playing year with older and more experienced veterans on the same mound. With pitchers such as Season 76 Rookie of the Year and fellow Ateneo de Manila High School product Miguel Dumlao playing on the same stage, both Blue Eagles served as the understudies to eventual Season 77 MVP Andy Tan, who led the squad to its third consecutive crown in 2015.

A bigger ball game

Macasaet, however, made a lasting impression, with his stints and prowess in the local leagues leading to bigger avenues on the foreign fields. As a mainstay in the International Little League Association of Manila and in tournaments representing the Blue and White, the pitcher went on from suiting up for school alone to gaining the privilege of sporting the country’s colors as a member of the national team. Earning two stints on the squad, Macasaet made his debut in the national selection to play in the 2015 East Asia Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, earning the MVP award in the international tournament where the country placed first with a perfect record. The following year saw Macasaet lend his service to the country on an even grander scale in Sydney, Australia, where he participated in the 2016 World Baseball Classic qualifiers as a member of the Philippine squad.

With his raw talent honed to haul in both strikeouts and medals, Macasaet’s prowess on the mound has been tested by local soil and sharpened by the intensity of the international game to create a weapon that has left a trail of destruction at the plate for the past three seasons. The main ingredient in Ateneo’s tried and tested formula for victory, the pitcher houses a quiet but disciplined disposition despite the weight put on his shoulders as the Blue Eagles completed a triumphant return to the throne of college baseball. “The level of competition is still the same because you’ll never know what will happen,” admits Macasaet. “Our goal is to play our game, follow the coach, and stick to it.”