ADAMSON University stands at the brink of history as they chase an unprecedented 12th consecutive UAAP softball championship.
But standing in their way, once again, is a University of the Philippines squad hungry to break their reign.
The best-of-three finals series for the UAAP Season 87 softball championship begins today (Tuesday) at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, where Adamson looks to extend its golden era while UP fights to rewrite its own.
The Lady Falcons are determined to maintain their position as the team with the longest active championship streak in the collegiate division and to surpass University of the East’s 11 consecutive titles in high school boys’ fencing, a competition that will take place next month.
Just last Saturday, the University of Santo Tomas ended the longest title run in the league, which was held by Far Eastern University-Diliman with 12 consecutive championships in High School Boys’ Football.
The first pitch is set at 8 a.m.
Adamson secured the championship title in Season 85 (2022–23) with a series sweep, but they faced a challenging 0-1 series deficit against UP in Season 86 (2023–24).
The Lady Falcons clinched their 11th title with a hard-fought, come-from-behind victory, winning the final game 4-3.
Head coach Ana Santiago emphasizes the importance of staying focused on the present, as Adamson is aware that the path to the championship will not be easy.
“Siguro ‘yung mindset nila towards the game; kung paano nila i-a-approach ‘yung championship (games) kasi that’s championship na eh. Lagi ko namang sinasabi sa kanila na basta huwag lang nilang i-pressure ‘yung sarili nila and at the same time, trust the process. Magtiwala lang sila sa kung ano ‘yung pinag-ensayuhan nila; pagkatiwalaan lang nila ‘yung sarili nila. And focus lang do’n sa goal,” the concurrent RP Blu Girls head coach shared.
“Mag-focus lang kami, one game at a time. Mag-focus muna kami sa Game 1 namin; huwag muna naming isipin ‘yung ibang bagay. Hopefully, ‘yung mindset nila, ma-i-ayos nila,” Santiago added.
The Lady Falcons seniors, led by team captain Remelie Herrero and powerhouse hitter Alaiza Talisik, will take the field one last time in their UAAP careers to secure the championship.
Their top pitchers, April Minanga and Glory Alonzo, are ready to dominate from the mound.
On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons are eager to move past the disappointments of the previous two seasons, particularly in Season 86, where they won Game 1 of the series 3-2 but fell short in the decisive Game 3 during extra innings.
To claim their first UAAP title since Season 70 (2007-08), the season hosts must effectively execute the small details better than they did in their last elimination-round game against University of Santo Tomas.
“Preparation namin ‘to for the championship pero hindi pa ko satisfied. Marami pang dapat i-improve kung gusto talaga nilang manalo. So, pagbalik namin sa training, mag-focus kami sa mga maliliit na concerns na dapat ma-adjust namin. Pag dating sa Finals kasi, mag-iiba na ‘yan eh. One hit, two hits, OK na ‘yon eh, basta no errors; depensa lang din talaga na maayos. And at the same time, may kailangan talaga kaming i-adjust sa opensa namin,” said fourth-year mentor Ron Pagkaliwagan.
“From the start talagang aim na naming makarating ng Finals, so napaghandaan na namin ‘yung gusto naming gawin. Basta hiling ko lang sa kanila, mag-one hit lang bawat isa sa kanila every game, OK na sa ‘kin. One hit and then no error (sa depensa),” he concluded.
Season 85 Athlete of the Year Nickole Dela Cruz aims to carry her strong elimination-round performance into the Finals.
Meanwhile, her longtime teammates, KC Valino and Reuel Caoagdan, will help anchor UP’s defense as the squad’s main battery.
Later in the day, at 10 a.m., De La Salle University will compete for its first podium finish since Season 81 (2018–19) when it faces last year’s bronze medalist Tiger Softbelles.
Games Tuesday
(Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium)
8 a.m. – AdU vs UP (Finals Game 1)
10 a.m. – UST vs DLSU (Battle for 3rd)