14 teams vie in nat’l games baseball today

 MANILA, Philippines - The baseball competition of the 2013 POC-PSC National Games unfolds today at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium with a record 14 teams disputing top honors.

A short opening ceremony is set at 8 a.m. to be led by Philippine Amateur Baseball Association president Hector Navasero and a surprise guest who will declare the tournament open.

Action blasts off shortly after, with National University taking on the Titans, followed by the showdown between ILLAM and Rizal Technological U and then the duel between Angeles University Foundation and La Salle Canlubang Panthers.

The tournament will also feature Philab Ballbusters and Philippine Air Force, which will both parade members of the disbanded national team, the Philippine Youth Team, Adamson U, La Salle Taft, Marikina, University of Santo Tomas and UAAP titlist Ateneo.

According to tournament director Ely Baradas, the nine-day tournament will showcase the largest field in the PNG.

“All the teams from the UAAP except UP are competing plus we have teams from the National PRISAA and SCUAA. Top teams in the senior league of the just-concluded Philippine series and the Greenfield invitational baseball champion are also participating and of course, we have Philab Ballbusters and Air Force which include in their lineup most of the members of our national team,” said Baradas.