Ateneo, NU start baseball title duel

MANILA, Philippines - The quest for long-sought glory goes full blast for National University, a team gunning for a first crown in over four decades, and Ateneo, a former lightweight squad making a huge turnaround, as they start their clash for the UAAP Season 74 baseball diadem today at the Rizal baseball field.

The top-seeded Bulldogs, title-less since their last conquest way back in 1967 but bridesmaids the last two seasons, and the Blue Batters, in their maiden finals appearance, hit the diamond at 9 a.m., both eager to draw first blood in the short race-to-two affair.

“We will go for the crown, we’d had enough of our (recent) runner-up finishes,” said NU team manager Wopsy Zamora, adding that after a lengthy talk and soul-searching the other night, the Bulldogs are “motivated and determined to win our first title after so many decades.”

Following the injury of ace hurler Aries Orug, NU is expected to start with MJ Gante, who took pitching chores in the Bulldogs’ 7-2 triumph over deposed champion University of Santo Tomas in a knockout Final Four last Sunday.

The No. 2 seed, Ateneo comes into the match on a high for making a school milestone and also fresher, having gone to the finals ahead after hurdling No. 3 La Salle, 13-4, in an F4 matchup. cut short by a flooded field a week ago.

“This is the first time in the history of Ateneo that we’re in the finals. And the good thing is that the players, especially starting pitching Adrian Bernardo, got some time to rest before Game 1,” said AdMU mentor Emerson Barandoc.

Prior to their finals duel, the Blue Batters and Bulldogs split their two outings in the elims with the former winning in an abbreviated eight-inning first round, 13-3, and the latter getting even, 8-5, in the second round.