Manila: National women's baseball head coach Isaac "Saki" Bacarisas is optimistic that his team will be able to reach the Finals if given another chance to compete at the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup. In a news forum on Tuesday, Bacarisas said he believes that the Philippines will surpass its maiden performance in the tournament held recently in Tainan, Taiwan where it ended up with a 2-3 record, including a 6-0 stunner over Cuba.
According to Philippines News Agency, losing to host Chinese-Taipei (2-8) and Venezuela (0-10) hurt the country's chances of advancing to the 2027 Finals set in Rockford, Illinois. Bacarisas expressed confidence in the team's future prospects, saying, "We've already gauged their level of skill. Hopefully, by the next time around - now that we know their weaknesses - we'll be able to reach the world stage. I hope we can come back next time." This was said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
Also present were team captain Veronica Velasco, Martine Francisco, Richelle Toledo, Cassandra Inot, Nichole Padasas, Mharnie Dela Cruz, Mery Ann Ramos, and Chastene Jover, along with Philippine Amateur Baseball Association secretary general and team manager Michael Asuncion. "It makes us incredibly proud that the Philippines' first World Cup victory was achieved by women. It feels amazing to be a part of history," Velasco shared.
Despite bowing to powerhouse and defending champion Japan (3-0), the Philippines managed to secure wins over world no. 7 Cuba (6-0) and world no. 15 Great Britain (6-0), posting a 2-1 record in Group B. This gave them a strong chance of clinching a berth in next year's finals. Bacarisas felt that, if not for the losses against Chinese-Taipei and Venezuela, the Philippines could have made it all the way to Illinois. Reflecting on the match against Taipei, he mentioned, "Against Taipei, we were running a bit low on energy, but I still think we can pull it off."
The Philippines earned a wild card entry in this year's WBSC tournament, showcasing their potential to compete at an international level.
