For the second straight season, National University and De La Salle University will dispute the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) baseball title as Game 1 of Season 87 finals opens with the first pitch today at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

NU will start one of its trusted pitchers — either Jherick Timban, Kenneth Maulit or reigning Best Pitcher Amiel de Guzman — to set the tone for the best-of-three championship series. The Bulldogs are eyeing not just a fifth UAAP baseball title, but also their first-ever back-to-back championship.

Riding high on a regular-season sweep of La Salle -- an 11-7 win in the first round and a 9-5 triumph in the second -- the Jhocson-based squad hopes to extend its dominance and finally claim that elusive consecutive title.

“We know that NU has yet to win back-to-back titles in baseball. So that’s the motivation for us. We have to go all out and give everything we can regardless of whom we face in the finals,” NU coach Romar Landicho said.

“Our championship mindset should still be there because we know that our opponents are also championship caliber. We know that it’s going to be a good match. Hopefully, we can give them a good fight. May the best team win.”

Game 2 is set on Tuesday while a potential Game 3 is scheduled on Friday.

On the other hand, the Green Batters have already achieved what NU is striving for — having secured back-to-back championships in Seasons 81 and 85.

Now making their fifth consecutive finals appearance, La Salle is gunning for a seventh UAAP title with a youthful core eager to leave its mark.z`