Following a heartbreaking season that saw the Green Batters come close to their goal of winning the championship, the team is determined to take the sought-after crown back to Taft. This Season 81, the team hopes that an intact veteran lineup, coupled with the addition of talented rookies, will be enough to regain baseball supremacy.
According to head coach Joseph Orillana, losing to the AdU Soaring Falcons in the finals served as a wake up call, which fueled their desire to train harder in the months leading to the UAAP Baseball Tournament. “This season, nandun yung uhaw na kailangan na sa susunod, makuha natin ‘to, mabawi natin ‘to,” he shares.
(This season, the thirst for us to take and regain [the championship] is there. We can get this, we can
take this back.)
Changes and offseason preparations
For the Green Batters, the offseason has been grueling, as they had to adjust their lineup after losing their starting shortstop, Joshua Salinas. Orillana states that it was one of the bigger obstacles the team faced. “Yung una kasi since wala kaming shortstop, medyo nagkaproblema, butas yung infield namin. Yun yung pinaka mahirap na point saamin nung una na nangangapa kami sa infield. At least ngayon, nagawan namin ng paraan,” he elaborates.
(Since we didn’t have a shortstop in the beginning, it became a problem for us because there was something missing in our infield, so we had to adjust. The hardest part was when we were testing the waters, but now, we’ve already figured things out.)
Specifically, among the changes made in the lineup, Season 80 Most Valuable Player Kiko Gesmundo will now play as a shortstop alongside veteran Boo Barandiaran, who will play as a second baseman. Orillana remarks that they were able to adjust quickly, citing their veteran experience as the reason.
The team will also be missing the services of outfielders Andre Palacios and Cholo Dominguez, and catcher Paul Naguit. However, team captain Ignacio Escaño is unfazed as he expresses his credence in this year’s lineup, “I feel like our lineup is still super stacked. We have a good set of rookies, who I feel have the capability to contribute right away. So I think that should make up for the pieces we lost last year.”
Coming back stronger
After last season’s Finals loss, the team did not put themselves in too deep of a hole, but instead set their minds on bouncing back. Escaño further emphasized, “It was tough. It took a while to get over it but after a loss, there’s only one thing to do, you gotta bounce back. You can’t dwell on it too much. We got over it and we started working harder again, because we know we don’t want to feel that again this year,” he explained.
Furthermore, Orillana expects his team to bounce back with a better mindset. “Yung expectations ko this season at least mabawi namin yung last season—na kinapos kami sa huli, na dapat sa amin yung title, na kami ang mag-champion. So in-expect ko ngayon, since bago yung lineup ko, sabi ko mas palaban yung lineup na ‘to. In-expect ko na mag-champion kami this season,” he expounds.
(I expect that we will be able to make up for our previous shortcomings toward the end of last season, wherein we were close to becoming the champions. Since the lineup this year is stronger, I expect to be champions this season.)
This season, the Green Batters will play to their strengths, which, according to Escaño, are their offense and pitching. In the end, their mental preparedness will be the key to their success. “I honestly feel like our biggest weakness is ourselves. If we just play our potential, we’re really the best team in the league this year,” Escaño shares.
The Green Batters open their campaign on Sunday, February 17, against the UP Fighting Maroons at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Diamond.
