“Last year ra gud ko nakasulod sa Adamson tapos sige rakog storya sakong girlfriend nga unta puhon maka sulod kos national team (Last year, I just got into Adamson, and I used to tell my girlfriend I hoped someday to make the national team),” Nisnisan told SunStar Davao in a Messenger interview Thursday evening, December 11, 2025.
“I never expected the Lord would answer so quickly. Even though I wasn’t officially on the payroll, I was in the training pool. I still got chosen to play in China’s Asian Baseball Championship and now the SEA Games. I feel so blessed because none of my sacrifices or the help from my coaches—Sir Gaitano, Sir Eric, Ma’am Pilar, and now Coach Sarabia—was wasted,” he added.
His love for baseball began early, inspired by his older brother. “Since I was young, I dreamed of playing for the national team,” he said. “Watching my brother play in national tournaments made me want the same. My dream kept growing until it finally happened.”
With Friday’s championship game against Thailand, Nisnisan and the team are eager to cap their SEA Games campaign with gold.
The Philippine national men’s baseball team at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games combines experienced players and promising newcomers. The roster includes Kent Joerend Altarejos, Mark John Beronilla, Erwin Bosito, Clarence Lyle Caasalan, Mar-Joseph Carolino, Amiel De Guzman, Liam Alexei De Vera, Junmar Diarao, Francis Thomas Gonzaga, Cer Gio Gorpido, Romeo Jasmin Jr., Ferdinand Liguayan Jr., Juan Paulo Macasaet, Mark Steven Manaig, John Leonel Matanguihan, Joven Kenneth Maulit, James Vincent Nisnisan, Jennald Pareja, Nigel Paule, Joshua Pineda, Renato Samuel Jr., Razhley Santos, Kennedy Torres, and John Reymond Vargas.
Coaches Orlando Binaro, Ricardo Jimenez, Romar Landicho, and Joseph Orillana have helped mold the team into a dominant force in the preliminaries. MLSA
