Photo from Quezon City Government FB Page

By AJ Alarcon

Blue covered the diamond as the Ateneo Juniors Baseball Team clinched a 4th-place finish out of 17 participating regions at the Palarong Pambansa 2025, held from May 24 to 31 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. The team fell just three runs short in their final game against Central Luzon, ending with a score of 10–7.

The Eagles blanked Bicol Region, 2–0, during the quarterfinals, extending their stand out on the national stage, before suffering a 4–2 loss against CALABARZON in the semifinals. 

The roster was composed of Team Captain Ryu Garcia, Sancho Afuang, Raffy Blaza, Miguel Cruzat, Ethan Galvez, Tommy Oblea, Sky Apostol, Sean Cristobal, Enzo De Guzman, Mio Salazar, Janko Sevilla, Mio Silva, and student manager Mio Ilagan.

They soared under the guidance of Head Coach Pepe Jose and assistant coaches Junjun Bonifacio and Emer Barandoc.

A Long Run to a Home Run

The ballclub first made noise in their 14–0 victory against Ramon Magsaysay High School during the championship game of the Quezon City Division Meet last December 10 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Baseball Field.

The team took over the same field during their gold-winning National Capital Region (NCR) Palaro stint from March 17 to 21, conceding only one defeat to Mandaluyong. Their performance secured them the regional title and a ticket to the national arena.

Reflections from the Captain

As the field widened and the stakes grew, so did the pressure. But the team found calm in their faith, strength in their mentors, and a bond that deepened with every game.

Before every play is a prayer. Beyond every inning is a reminder. Behind every victory is a team.

Their faith anchored them. As Garcia stated, “This would remind us that more than the pressure of the tournament, baseball is still a game — a game we need to enjoy and love playing.”

Alongside this anchor was a voice from the sidelines: “Kalma, kaya [ninyo] ‘yan,” Coach Jose repeated, encouraging them and keeping them steady — steady enough to realize that they are not alone and carry more than the name and number on their jersey. 

“Baseball is a team sport,” Garcia emphasized. “Though individual performances always stand out, if they don’t connect, the team can’t win,” he added.

He described reaching the national stage as achieving a goal that once felt out of reach. But more than the pride they carried after their near-podium finish, they found joy in the moments they shared as a unit.

This bond brought a small but meaningful difference in their play. “As this season ends, all the players have come to understand how to play together and trust the team. That’s the difference between when we started and now — trust.”

Ultimately, he labels their journey as “the greatest memory.” 

“The experience of playing together, training together, and even eating together — all of these moments were so little and yet bonded [us] so much after,” he recalled. 

The captain defined their Palarong Pambansa 2025 run not just by the calculated swings, but also by the relationships that formed outside the dugout and beyond the diamond.

“To the team, Palaro was more [than] just an experience; it was an opportunity to strengthen a bond formed through the years,” he concluded.