Baseball
Ateneo’s Aiden Lazaro joins elite baseball program at IMG Academy
Ateneo High School baseball standout Aiden Lazaro has reached another milestone after embarking on a long-term elite baseball development pathway with the renowned IMG Academy.
Based in Bradenton, Florida, IMG Academy is one of the world’s premier sports training institutions, known for developing young athletes into elite competitors across various sports.
Among its notable alumni are Major League Baseball standouts James Wood and Chris Perez, 2026 sixth overall MLB Draft pick Zion Rose, and tennis legends Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, and Maria Sharapova.
Interestingly, IMG Academy’s sister brand, IMG Tennis Management, represents Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala, whose sporting journey shares similarities with Lazaro’s.
Both athletes began playing their respective sports at a young age before committing to elite international training at 13 years old—Eala at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, and Lazaro at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
IMG Academy’s decision to recruit Lazaro into its prestigious baseball program reflects its confidence in his long-term potential, built on years of consistent development and strong performances in the local and regional baseball scene.
Together with his hands-on and supportive mother, Shelly, Aiden recently spent considerable time at IMG’s 600-acre campus, where he completed the first phase of his long-term holistic athletic development program under the guidance of former Major League Baseball coaches, professional league coaches, players, and scouts.
The 13-year-old also has access to IMG’s Performance & Sports Science Center, which oversees his strength and conditioning, speed and agility, mobility, injury prevention, recovery, nutrition, sports science, and mental performance.
(C) IMG Academy
“I’m excited to immerse myself in a new training environment and learn from everyone at IMG Academy who helped develop some of the top athletes and professional players. I look forward to bringing home everything I gain from this so I can contribute more to my teams in the Philippines,” said Lazaro.
“I’m very thankful to IMG Academy for welcoming me into its baseball and holistic athletic training program and for working closely with my mom over the past few months to help create exciting opportunities for my future. I’m humbled by this privilege, and I’m ready to work hard to make the most of it.”
Lazaro is the first homegrown Filipino baseball player to become part of IMG Academy, marking a historic milestone not only in his own career but also for Philippine baseball.
A member of the Ateneo Blue Eagles program since kindergarten at the age of five, Lazaro has served as team captain across multiple age divisions. Last school year, he earned a spot on Ateneo’s high school roster, becoming the only Grade 7 student and the youngest player ever to compete in the UAAP baseball tournament. He is also a gold medalist in primary baseball, having represented the National Capital Region at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa.
As a member of the Philippine Under-12 National Team in 2024, Lazaro won the Most RBIs Award at the Asian Baseball Championship in Japan.
Aiden and his mother recently returned to the Philippines in time for the opening of the new academic year. Now a Grade 8 student at Ateneo, he serves as team captain of the school’s Pony Division baseball team.
Lazaro will continue to wear the Blue Eagle colors while proudly representing both his school and the Philippines in local and international competitions, pursuing a hybrid development program as he works toward his dream of one day playing in Major League Baseball.
As part of the long-term program, Aiden and his mother will regularly travel between Manila and Florida for the succeeding phases of his training at IMG Academy.
Throughout the year, IMG’s coaching staff will closely monitor his progress through online coaching while he is in Manila and conduct in-person training during semestral breaks and school holidays. This setup ensures that his athletic development complements, rather than disrupts, his academic studies and baseball commitments at Ateneo de Manila.
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Baseball
Philippines’ Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals dreams end after losses to Chinese Taipei, Venezuela
The Philippines’ hopes of advancing to the 2027 Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals came to an end on Thursday after back-to-back losses to Chinese Taipei and Venezuela at the ASPAC Secondary Stadium.
The Filipinas first fell to Chinese Taipei, 2-8, earlier in the day, setting up a win-or-go-home showdown against Venezuela.
However, the Philippines could not find the breakthrough it needed in the decisive game. Venezuela cruised to a 10-0 victory to secure its third win of the tournament and book its place in next year’s World Cup Finals.
Christine Bautista started on the mound for the Philippines against Abril Amaro, but the opponents immediately put pressure on the Filipinas.
Venezuela scored once in the opening inning before breaking the game open with a six-run second inning.
Victoria Heredia Rangel, Srishna Aranza Arciniega Rojas, Gabriela Paola García Carvajal and Marlyn José Yendez Cordero all drove in runs during Venezuela’s big second frame, while additional runs came across on a throwing error and a wild pitch.
Arciniega Rojas added another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the third, while Mariana del Carmen Natera Arteaga doubled home a run in the fifth to complete Venezuela’s scoring.
The Filipinas struggled to generate offense against Amaro, managing only four hits throughout the game.
Ivy Capistrano, Helga Campos, Nica Velasco, and Madaelene Domaug accounted for the Philippines’ hits.
Venezuela then ended the contest after five innings with the 10-0 lead.
Earlier, the Philippines faced a tough start against Chinese Taipei, which jumped ahead with four runs in the opening inning.
Chia-Yu Lin delivered a two-run double, while Yu-Chuan Tu added an RBI double as Chinese Taipei quickly built its advantage. Another run was scored on a dropped fly error.
Chinese Taipei added another run in the second before piling on three more in the fourth to take an 8-0 lead.
The Philippines finally got on the board in the top of the fifth when Campos doubled to right-center, bringing home Delyrose Covarrubias and Erika Fernandez.
Those were the Filipinas’ only runs, however, as Chinese Taipei closed out the 8-2 victory after five innings.
In its maiden campaign in the World Cup, the Philippines finished with a 2-3 record, beating Cuba and Great Britain on Day 2.
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Baseball
Philippines blank Cuba, beat Great Britain to seize solo third in Women’s Baseball World Cup-Tainan
The Philippines bounced back from an opening-day loss to defending champion Japan with back-to-back victories over Cuba and Great Britain on Wednesday, moving into solo third place in the 2027 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup at the ASPAC Secondary Stadium in Taiwan.
After falling to Japan, 3-0, on Tuesday, the Filipinas made history twice in one day, blanking Cuba, 6-0, in the afternoon before defeating fellow debutants Great Britain, 6-2, later in the day.
The victory over Cuba marked the Philippines’ first-ever win in Women’s Baseball World Cup history.
Against Cuba, Christine Bautista turned in a strong start on the mound, allowing just one hit over four innings to keep the Cubans scoreless.
The Philippines immediately took advantage of an error in the bottom of the first, with Richelle Toledo reaching base before scoring the country’s first-ever World Cup run on a base hit by Martine Francisco.
The Filipinas then broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning.
Angel Bedaño started the rally with a walk before the Philippines used aggressive baserunning and a series of well-placed bunts to pile on the runs.
Helga Campos reached on a fielder’s choice before Madaelene Domaug and Chastene Jover delivered consecutive bunt singles to bring home Campos and Bedaño. Nica Velasco followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Jover, while Mae Langga’s single brought Toledo home for the final run of the frame.
Bautista shut the door on Cuba in the top of the fifth before handing the ball to the bullpen as the Philippines completed the historic shutout.
The Filipinas carried that momentum into their meeting with Great Britain, striking for four runs on four hits in the opening inning.
Francisco doubled to left field to drive in Toledo and Velasco, while Ivy Capistrano and Shyla Celis followed with back-to-back doubles to give the Philippines a commanding early advantage.
The Filipinas added another run in the second when Cassandra Inot scored on a wild pitch, before Erika Fernandez scored in the fourth on Bedaño’s sacrifice bunt.
Great Britain finally got on the board in the bottom of the second after Darier Malone reached on a throwing error and eventually scored on Bethany Casson’s fielder’s choice.
The British added another run in the third when Amy Trask singled home Laura Hirai, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
But Nichole Padasas kept Great Britain from mounting a comeback, working through four innings before Jojielyn Lim took over in the fifth.
The Philippines held Great Britain scoreless in the final two innings to secure their second historic victory of the tournament.
The Filipinas’ two wins came a day after their World Cup debut against powerhouse Japan.
Japan took a 3-0 lead after four innings, with Miyu Shimizu dominating the Philippine hitters by striking out the first eight batters she faced and pitching three perfect innings.
Japan scored once in the first inning before adding two more runs in the second and fourth.
The game was then suspended after four innings because of a lighting and mechanical issue. With the game passing 11 p.m. local time, Japan was declared the 3-0 winner.
Despite that setback, the Philippines quickly regrouped Wednesday and now sits alone in third place after making an emphatic mark in its first-ever Women’s Baseball World Cup appearance.
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Baseball
UAAP MVP Mae Langga leads Philippines into historic Women’s Baseball World Cup debut
Reigning UAAP Softball MVP Mae Langga headlines a Philippine Women’s National Baseball Team composed largely of past and present UAAP stars as the country makes its historic debut in the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in Tainan, Chinese Taipei.
Langga, a catcher Adamson University, leads a 20-player roster featuring seven past and present UST Tiger Softbelles, alongside players from the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and the now-defunct National University softball program.
UST is represented by Christine Bautista (pitcher), Angel Bedano (outfielder), Helga Campos (center fielder/pitcher), Shyla Mae Celis (catcher), Mharnie Dela Cruz (center fielder/pitcher), Erika Fernandez (outfielder/pitcher), and Jojielyn Lim (pitcher).
Adamson provides the biggest contingent outside UST, with Ivy Capistrano (infielder), Delyrose Covarrubias (outfielder), Madelene Domaug (infielder), Chastene Jover (infielder), MJ Maguad (infielder), Mary Nicole Padasas (designated hitter/pitcher), and Richelle Toledo (outfielder) joining Langga.
University of the Philippines is represented by Martine Francisco (first baseman/pitcher) and Jamm’n Rasco (infielder), while De La Salle University sends Cassandra Inot (outfielder) and Nica Velasco (infielder).
Completing the squad is Mary Ann Ramos (pitcher), who came from the now-defunct National University softball program.
The Filipinas begin their historic campaign on Sunday against seven-time defending champion Japan at the ASPAC Secondary Stadium in Tainan.
The Philippines will then face Cuba on August 24, host Chinese Taipei on August 25, Great Britain on August 26, and Venezuela on August 27.
The top four teams from the Tainan group will advance to the 2027 Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals at Rivets Stadium in Rockford, Illinois.
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