EMOTIONS RAN high in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 79 Baseball tournament, with old champions reclaiming the collegiate throne after a roller-coaster regular season. Testifying to the saying that anything can happen in the game of baseball, Season 79 was indeed a season of surprises where passion, heart, and school pride blazed well past the bottom of the ninth.

The true magic of the season was rooted in the mad scramble that ensued for the second position on the tables, which set up a three-way joust for the last spot in the finals between De La Salle University (DLSU), Adamson University (AdU), and wild card University of Sto. Tomas (UST). Defying the expectations of fans and players alike, the Green Archers surrendered their claim to the crown early on, leaving the title up for grabs after a disappointing exit from contention.

With the defending champions out of the picture, the colors of the UAAP baseball finals shifted to an unexpected battle of blue and yellow, as the Growling Tigers rose valiantly to the occasion to give the Blue Eagles a run for their money. Emerging victorious in the melee for the second seed, UST sought to make the most of the opportunity on the diamond, which culminated in an emotional finale.

Despite winning the first match in the best-of-three series, the Blue Eagles met a solid roadblock on the last leg of their journey, as the Growling Tigers fought tooth and nail to keep their hopes alive. Game 2 of the Season 79 finals series saw an unstoppable force meet an immovable object, with shifts in momentum and in-game plot twists pushing the game into heart-stopping extra innings.

But as the sun set on Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium and fatigue kicked in, the flag of Blue and White prevailed, ending the series with a near five-hour ballgame. Despite their bravest efforts and a phenomenal campaign, the Growling Tigers fell just short of the gold, while the Blue Eagles capped off their season in the glory of redemption.

Moving forward

While last season’s display of brilliance has certainly cemented Ateneo’s superiority in the league, the challenge that the Blue Eagles face in a new frontier is replicating the class they exhibited a year ago. Although the return to the baseball throne does place Ateneo in prime position in the race for the crown, the Blue Eagles must deal with the fact that they are the team to beat once again–a predicament they are all too familiar with.

Four other teams have set their crosshairs on the Blue Eagles’ backs this new year. As demonstrated by the level of competition set last season, the championship could certainly be anyone’s game. Experience in familiar territory does have its perks, with Ateneo ranking within the league’s top two spots since Season 74, but the team will be dealing with some minor setbacks and key changes to spice things up before they play ball.

Significant Losses

Although a large chunk of Ateneo’s roster from the last two seasons remains firmly intact, the team will be without the services of several seasoned veterans who have had their own moments of magic on the diamond.

The loss of team captain and long-time right-fielder Renzo Ramos has left a gaping hole on the outfield, with the dugout missing the vocal presence of the heavy-hitter this year. Wielding a steady glove on right field and a reliable cleanup on the batting rotation, Ramos retired after a lifetime in the Ateneo jersey, known best for launching bombs from the plate and manning the outskirts of the ballpark.

Ramos concluded his final playing year with a 0.233 batting average (BA), tallying seven hits and knocking in six of his total seven runs-batted-in (RBI) during a game-winning performance against the AdU Soaring Falcons in the second round. Despite managing low numbers for most of the season, the outfielder led the charge from the plate after blasting a 3-RBI double and a 2-run homerun to give his team the win from behind.

Meanwhile, former Rookie of the Year (ROTY) and pitcher Miguel Dumlao has also bid goodbye to the collegiate bullpen, calling an end to a four-season career on the mound after winning the title in his last playing year. A prized weapon in the Blue and White arsenal, the Ateneo de Manila High School product was notorious for a deadly fastball and lent invaluable experience to the squad.

Having started on the mound in three games and closing in his last game of the regular season, Dumlao made the most of his minutes on the field, holding down the fort on defense to provide crucial rest time for his fellow pitchers. The senior concluded his last term of service with a 1.35 ERA, pitching four games in the regular season where he threw 11 strikeouts against 92 batters for a dominance rate of 0.119 percent in 20 innings pitched.

Another bump on the road is the absence of infielder Gino Tantuico, who will be taking his junior term abroad during the second semester of the UAAP. The De La Salle Zobel graduate has been a standout since his league debut, displaying diversity at shortstop in his rookie year and moving to first base as a sophomore. Going 11/38 from the plate for a 0.289 BA in Season 79, Tantuico will be another critical loss for the Blue Eagles after playing a vital role on offense and defense last year.

Continuity on the field

However, despite missing three regular starters for at least prior two seasons, the silver lining in the ballgame is that two-thirds of the usual starting nine will carry the flame in a new campaign. The Blue Eagles’ latest charge is bannered by a cast of seasoned veterans and promising young talents, with a championship caliber team opening a new season much like the team they were last year (and the year before).

Although an open space is left on one side of the outfield, left-fielder Radito Banzon and centerfielder Marco Mallari have developed finely into a tried and tested formula for spectacular defense, with both outfielders owning their zones on the outfield just as much as Ramos did on right-field over the course of his career. Playing in their senior and junior years, respectively, both outfielders have proven to be dependable and consistent, leaving two-thirds of the outfield in steady hands.

Stepping into the same diamond previously occupied by the Blue and White giants of seasons past, the Ateneo infield, by comparison, blends both youth and maturity. Current co-captain Dino Altomonte, while donning the Blue and White for the fourth time in his career, is relatively new at home plate, taking the starting catcher spot only last season after playing backup to Dio Remollo for his first three years.

But despite being new to the role thrust upon his shoulders, Altomonte plays with tenacity beyond his years, boasting of unmoving toughness and grit that will be essential from the veterans this season. Confident and undaunted, the senior catcher has shown fearlessness in making quick decisions and caution when necessary, holstering the defense as a figure of authority behind the plate.

Javi Macasaet has superbly tuned his form as one of the team’s most talented basemen, taking over the spot once owned by the legendary Matt Laurel. Armed with a cannon for an arm and gifted with natural defensive disposition, the younger Macasaet brother will be another guiding presence on third base in his junior year.

Efficiency has been the key word for second baseman Marquis Alindogan, who has made an impact in the league as one of the tournament’s most proficient infielders. Alindogan has risen to the top of his game, taking over co-captaincy in only his third playing year, and will serve as another figure of seniority and effectiveness with composure on defense.

While third and second base have been occupied by infielders with three seasons of experience at the collegiate level under their belt, the shortstop position looks comparably problematic. Dan Laurel was thrown into the mix in his first year in the league, anchoring the infield with fellow rookie Kiko Andaya playing as his backup, which placed young blood at a crucial spot on the diamond.

Although Laurel did manage to hold his own on short, even topping the tables to win the ROTY Award, the Blue Eagles’ usual starting shortstop looked shaky at certain points in the season, notching a couple of slipups here and there despite an overall impressive debut.

Thus, a key factor for Ateneo’s defense this season will be finesse and proficiency, meaning that the pressure is on the infield to minimize errors to lessen the load on their pitcher. With Macasaet and Alindogan’s developing into first-rate basemen, and Laurel undoubtedly maturing after his rookie year, the spotlights are on the empty bag at first to see whether the next baseman can capture the same fire that his predecessors did.

Dangerous batting order

On the other side of the ballgame, continuity on the defensive side of the field lends itself to a lethal batting order that has served as Head Coach Randy Dizer’s recipe for success over the last few seasons. Seven out of nine of the Blue Eagles’ usual starting lineup at the plate move on from last season to the next, making Ateneo just as deadly on offense now as they were last year.

Dizer has orchestrated the perfect formula, dispatching some of the league’s best hitters at strategic points in the batting order to land hits and convert runs at a constant rate. Last season’s usual starting nine batted at a combined 0.299 average, with no one on the batting order averaging below a 0.216. Moreover, the offensive capacity of the Blue Eagles was undeniable as the team managed 98 hits in 88 innings played, converting 67 runs in the process during the regular season.

With some of the UAAP’s most dominant batters in their arsenal, the Blue Eagles have maximized firepower by utilizing the rule of thirds. Dizer has masterfully devised his batting order to produce hits and score runs by preceding his strongest hitters with batters that are most reliable to get on base, with the last batter in each third of the lineup (batters three, six, and nine) more often than not being the most capable of sending home the RBIs.

The first third in the batting order during Seasons 78 and 79 saw Radito Banzon serve as leadoff, with Marco Mallari and Javi Macasaet on deck. The trio was sensational in Season 79, putting in the numbers to support the rule of thirds statistically.

While Banzon went 9/34 for 0.265, and Mallari averaged 0.359 with a 14/39 finish, cleanup hitter Macasaet proved to be a force to be reckoned with at the plate, recording the highest batting average on Ateneo’s regular starting nine with 14 hits in 34 at-bats for a 0.412 BA. Similarly, Macasaet knocked in the second-most RBIs in the lineup, cleaning house with ten of his own, second only to Gino Tantuico who scored 11.

The second third of the batting order features designated hitter Ryan Hilario, tasked to launch bombs to send any remaining runners on base, followed by heavy-hitter Renzo Ramos and Gino Tantuico. Hilario nailed the second-highest BA on the starting nine, going 11/3o for 0.367 and tallying five RBIs. Ramos hit at a 0.233 rate with 7/30, setting the stage for Tantuico, who topped the starting nine and his third of the batting order with 11 RBIs off a 0.289 BA.

The final third of the batting order placed Dan Laurel at sixth, Dino Altomonte at seventh, and Marquis Alindogan at the bottom of the batting order. Laurel tallied 8/37 for a 0.216 BA, Altomonte went 9/34 for 0.265, while Alindogan hit 9/34 for 0.290, bringing in the most RBIs in his third of the batting order with six of his own to prove the trend correct.

Dominance from the mound

But perhaps the strongest asset that the Blue Eagles have is their unchallenged supremacy on the pitcher’s mound. The last four seasons have witnessed the emergence of Paulo Macasaet as king of the hill, with Ateneo’s ace pitcher and crown jewel solidifying his reputation as the league’s most dominant force in the bullpen.

The reigning Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) has been an absolute phenom since his debut, rising steeply to top after once playing understudy to Andy Tan in Season 77. Macasaet’s heroics in the finals of Season 79 capped off another incredible display from the pitcher, who threw 27 strikeouts against 123 batters faced, racking up the fourth most kills from the mound in the league.

Additionally, Macasaet pitched 29 innings, the fourth most in Season 80, and concluded his season with an earned-run average (ERA) of 1.862, giving up runs at the sixth-lowest rate in the UAAP despite recording the fifth-highest number of batters faced.

Working on the foundation of prior seasons, Macasaet’s reputation precedes him as the league’s deadliest force from the mound, and the pitcher will be expected to produce at the same kill-rate that has fueled his current standing. The limiting factor to positive numbers from Macasaet on the mound, however, will be the support that his backup pitchers provide him in a new season.

With Dumlao hanging up his cleats, Miggy Angeles is the obvious choice for second string, pitching nine games for the most appearances among all five Ateneo pitchers last season. The lefty closed five of the six games that Macasaet started, proving himself to be a cool-headed southpaw armed with a nifty offspeed.

Angeles’ support will be a catalyst for Macasaet’s own proficiency, which will in turn serve as the key to controlling the game by saving the ace pitcher from burnouts and overworking his throwing arm. Angeles himself struck a 1.690 ERA, second to Dumlao’s own 1.350, with the rookie pitcher recording seven kills at the plate in 21.3 innings pitched and 84 batters faced.

Third-year pitcher Nacho Lozano will also share a greater burden following the loss of Miguel Dumlao. Pitching three games in Season 79, Lozano recorded a 7.105 ERA and four strikeouts in  7.6 innings pitched and 37 batters faced. However, despite generating a relatively low turnout over three appearances in the regular season, Lozano was vital cog in the Blue Eagles’ pitching rotation, standing in to provide much needed rest time for Macasaet and Angeles, which will be the role given to him in Season 80.

Making the cut

The challenge that the departure of Ramos, Dumlao, and Tantuico poses is the necessity of finding replacements that can blend with the chemistry and operate at the same work rate achieved by the rest of the nine on the diamond.

In the case of Ramos and Tantuico, the problem will be finding capable substitutes that can fill the defensive niches on the infield and the outfield while still contributing the same firepower from the plate. Ramos and Tantuico occupy the same third of the Blue Eagles’ batting order, usually swinging fifth and sixth after designated hitter Ryan Hilario.

Tantuico was an absolute goldmine for the Blue Eagles last season, scoring the most RBIs on the squad with a total of 11 during the regular season, meaning that his replacement will have to be fully capable of cutting it offensively and defensively to make up for the infielder’s absence.

All eyes will be on first base and right-field as different faces make new positions their own in a new season. Veteran Gio Salvatierra looks to be a possible option on the infield, coming off the bench as a substitute first baseman for a couple of innings last season, while rookies Fausto Eizmendi and Tres Sarmiento are also likely to receive call-ups in the coming games.

Sophomore Iñigo Untalan had a few moments of brilliance last season, proving his worth as a utility player on the outfield, and will be competing for right-field against Enzo Orbeta, a fifth year player who bowed out of last season due to injury.

The ultimate question, however, is whether the Blue Eagle placed on the corner of the infield can cut it on defense while putting in the numbers at the middle third of the batting order, which will be the key to another victorious season.

Dumlao’s departure, on the other hand, puts the Blue Eagles down a veteran on the mound, cuts down the bullpen rotation, and forces the remaining pitchers to work longer shifts by pitching more innings. Macasaet, Angeles, and Lozano will find it extremely difficult to to carry the weight on their shoulders alone, which places greater strain on the new batch of rookies.

Nico Lozano and Luis Estacio are Ateneo’s newest recruits in the college bullpen and will undoubtedly provide ample rest time for their three senior pitchers when sent into the fray. The real question is whether the rookies can control the pace of the game from the mound in the first test of their mettle and hold down the fort in a new campaign.

First Round Schedule

February 4, 2018 – Ateneo vs. University of the Philippines (UP)

February 7, 2018 – National University (NU) vs. Ateneo

February 11, 2018 – Ateneo vs. Adamson University (AdU)

February 14, 2018 – Ateneo vs. De La Salle University (DLSU)

February 18, 2018 – Ateneo vs. University of Sto. Tomas

EDITOR’S NOTE: Enzo Orbeta is a current Digital Development staffer of The GUIDON.