It's NU vs La Salle once again for the UAAP baseball title this Friday! Will the Bulldogs get their first back-to-back? Or will the Green Batters regain their dominance?
For the second straight season, National University and De La Salle University will battle for the UAAP Baseball title, as Game 1 of the Season 87 Finals opens with the first pitch on May 2, (Friday) at 8 a.m. at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
NU will start one of its trusted pitchers—either Jherick Timban, Kenneth Maulit, or reigning Best Pitcher Amiel De Guzman—to set the tone for the best-of-three championship series. The Bulldogs are eyeing not just a fifth UAAP baseball title, but also their first-ever back-to-back championship.
Riding high on a regular-season sweep of La Salle—an 11-7 win in the first round and a 9-5 triumph in the second—the Jhocson-based squad hopes to extend its dominance and finally claim that elusive consecutive title.
"From the beginning naman kasi (ng season) -- knowing na sa history ng NU, hindi pa nakakapag-back-to-back 'yung baseball. So, that's the motivation pa rin for us na ipagpatuloy na ibigay, ibuhos ang lahat kahit sino pa ang kalaban para lang sa NU. Yun lang, and sana pagdating sa Finals, magtuluy-tuloy," said NU's second-year head coach Romar Landicho.
"Yung championship mindset dapat hindi pa rin mawala sa 'min kasi alam naming na championship-caliber 'yung kalaban. So, alam kong magandang laban 'yon. Hopefully, mabigyan naming ng magandang laro para mag-enjoy naman sila and, hopefully, may the best team win," he added.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday, May 6 while a potential Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, May 9.
On the other hand, the Green Batters have already achieved what NU is striving for—having secured back-to-back championships in Seasons 81 and 85. Now making their fifth consecutive Finals appearance, La Salle is gunning for a seventh UAAP title with a youthful core eager to leave its mark.
"Since pumasok na kami sa Finals, and since lima rito sa rookies naglalaro a first nine, pero sabi ko sa kanila, hindi ko na kayo itatrato na rookie dito. Now, this is Finals, ibang usapan 'to, kaya nga sabi ko sa kanila, let's just play simple baseball. Huwag na nating artehan pa o ano; itrato natin 'yung game na parang practice lang para walang pressure," said Green Batters head coach Joseph Orillana, himself a four-time UAAP champion -- three as a head coach.
"Anyway, ibinigay na namin ang lahat para makapasok sa championship. Anything goes dito, magiging proud pa rin ako sa kanila. Basta all-out na, last round na 'to, championship round 'to. All out na, ready na kami."