UP Diliman Field will be the battleground for two schools vying for a chance at the postseason on Saturday.
University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas will duke it out in playoff matches in both baseball and softball.
Not only will the Fighting Maroons have a home-field advantage against both the Golden Sox and the Tiger Softbelles, but they will also be the home team by virtue of having scored fewer runs against.
The winner of the one-off baseball game, which will have its first pitch at 8:00 a.m., will take on the twice-to-beat-armed defending champion De La Salle University on Sunday, April 14.
The second-seeded National University will face Ateneo de Manila University in the other bracket.
Meanwhile, the victor in the virtual softball semifinals set at 4:00 p.m. will square off against the 11-peat-seeking Adamson University in the best-of-three finale, which begins on Wednesday, April 10.
UP’s baseball team will have all the momentum heading into its clash against UST, surviving Ateneo, 15-12, on Thursday evening to create a logjam.
“If you want to win this game, you have to earn it. Hindi ibibigay sa atin ‘to,” said soft-spoken UP head coach Anthony Dizer on the upcoming playoff game.
The Fighting Maroons will lean on the likes of sophomore closer Kobe Torres and the power-hitting of captain Ian Mercado and shortstop Nano Asuncion to secure victory.
UP’s softball team, on the other hand, had to go through a couple of do-or-die encounters, beating UST, 4-1, and Ateneo, 15-0, to force a tie for the second spot.
“Yun lang naman ‘yung hihintay ko na lumabas ‘yung totoong laro ng UP talaga. Kanina nakita ko yung totoong laro nila na maayos ang defense, maganda ang palo, at ang pitching. Sana magtuluy-tuloy hanggang championship,” said UP head coach Ron Pagkaliwagan, who will utilize sophomore pitcher KC Valino on the mound while hoping that the trio of reigning MVP Nickole Dela Cruz, Martine Francisco, and Danica Aquino can provide the hits.
Both UP squads are hoping to return to the finals after finishing as silver medalists last season.
UST, however, will not go down easily.
The Tiger Softbelles could have clinched the second finals berth last Wednesday but succumbed to Adamson in the middle innings, losing 4-1.
“Kung pareho ang ipupukol ni Kikay (Palma) sa laro namin sa Sabado, kakayanin namin ‘to,” said Tiger Softbelles head coach Sandy Barredo, who is looking to guide his team to their first finals appearance since UAAP Season 81 (2018-19).
Palma, though, had an on-the-job training shift a day before the tilt.
“Dadalawa lang naman ‘to e, kung makaka-hit kami, mananalo kami. Kung hindi, dadaanin namin sa depensa,” Barredo added.
“Basta kami, maglalaro kami bukas.”
Jeffrey Santiago, on the other hand, is not losing hope in his Golden Sox despite entering the win-or-go-home tilt with a four-game losing streak.
Starting their campaign with a 3-1 slate, UST lost five of its last six games — including a heartbreaking 10-9, 10th-inning defeat at the hands of La Salle on Thursday afternoon.
“Mental toughness ang kailangan ng mga bata. Kalimutan na nila yung mga talo namin. Maayos na mindset at matulog ng maaga ang kailangan namin,” said Santiago, who is looking to bring the Golden Sox to their first postseason appearance since UAAP Season 79 (2016-17).
And if the Golden Sox want to find their magic once more, it will all begin with reigning MVP Justine Rosales.
The elimination round series of both UP and UST in both events is tied at 1-1.
