THE Ateneo Blue Eagles baseball team could still be in the hunt for a rare ‘three-peat’ in next year’s UAAP season.
Moments after the team retained its title at the conclusion of Season 76, coach Randy Dizer hinted he liked the prospects of the Ateneo core coming back next year to contend for another crown.
Adamson was the last team to win three consecutive titles from 2008 to 2010, and the prospect of Ateneo duplicating the Falcons’ feat is not far-fetched.
“We will only lose one player,” Dizer said, referring to ace infielder Kevin Ramos. “We have four incoming players, three of which are pitchers.”
Leaning on their championship poise, the Blue Eagles walloped top-seeded La Salle, 8-3, on Tuesday to sweep the Season 76 UAAP baseball finals at the Rizal Memorial ballpark.
Ateneo set the stage for the title victory after a nail-biting 10-8 10th-inning victory over longtime rival De La Salle.
Season Most Valuable Player and Best Pitcher Andy Tan also likes the chances of the Blue Eagles for next season.
“From last year, we lost two players and this year, only one. We still have a good core of players and a few more for the next years,” said Tan.
The lefty Tan will be one of the holdovers for next season after earning this year’s MVP honors in leading Ateneo to a 7-3 record in the eliminations and in the Game One victory.
Tan closed out Game Two by putting out the final two batters of La Salle to complete the sweep of the title series.
The 21-year-old, however, refused to take all the credit for a successful season.
“It was great (winning the MVP). But it wasn’t all about me. The team played so well throughout the whole season. Coming out with a 7-3 record, we picked up after that,” Tan said.
Tan cited the play of fellow pitcher and Rookie of the Year Miguel Dumlao, who pitched six solid innings in Game Two to pick up the victory.
“He pitched fantastic. He is a freshman and he stepped up big on the big stage. He picked his spots and played really well. He did his part,” said Tan.
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