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Bataan Risers
2025 Bataan Risers season
Bataan Risers logo
LeagueMPBL
Founded2018; 7 years ago (2018)
HistoryBataan Defenders
2018
Bataan Risers
2018–present
ArenaBataan People's Center
Orion Sports Complex
LocationBataan
Team colors     
Main sponsorCamaya Coast
Head coachGoody Ilagan

The 1Bataan Risers, more commonly known as the Bataan Risers, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of Bataan. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. The team splits its home games between Bataan People's Center in Balanga and Orion Sports Complex in Orion.

The Bataan franchise began play in 2018 as one of the MPBL's charter teams, originally going by the Bataan Defenders before switching to its current name the following season. Bataan also fielded a team in 3x3 basketball in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 and has also participated in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Tour as the Balanga Chooks.

The team made the playoffs in its first four seasons in the league and held the league's best record in the 2018–19 season under homegrown player Gary David and coach Jojo Lastimosa.

The Risers are one of four teams based in Central Luzon. Since its founding, the team is owned by the Provincial Government of Bataan.[1] The team is also sponsored by Camaya Coast, a Bataan-based residential development, hence the team is also known as the 1Bataan Risers–Camaya Coast.

History

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2018–2020: The Gary David era

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Bataan joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League as one of the ten charter teams for the league's inaugural season. The Defenders were one of two Central Luzon teams at the time, the other being the Bulacan Kuyas. In their inaugural season, as the Bataan Defenders, the team barely made the playoffs as it shared a 2–7 record with the Imus Bandera, but was able to clinch the last spot as they beat Imus in their head-to-head matchup. The team was swept in the Quarterfinals to the eventual champion Batangas City Athletics.

For the 2018–19 season, the team changed its name to the Bataan Risers. Coincidentally, that season saw the team rise to the league's best record that season with a record of 23–2. After sweeping the Caloocan Supremos in the First Round, they would fall in an upset against the Manila Stars in the Division Semifinals.

In the 2019–20 season, Bataan made the playoffs for the third consecutive season but lost to the Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the First Round.

2022–present: The post-David era

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The team then opted out of participating in the 2021 Invitational before returning in 2022. During the 2022 season, all of the team's home games were placed at Orion Sports Complex in Orion. where they made the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, but once again lost to Pampanga in the First Round.

In the 2023 season, Bataan returned to the Bataan People's Center. It also saw the team host that season's All-Star Game. Bataan's race to the playoffs has been close, but unfortunately, they finished the season one game below .500 with a 13–15 record. Placing ninth in the North Division, Bataan missed the playoffs for the first time in the team's history, leaving the Batangas City Embassy Chill as the only founding member to never miss the playoffs.

In the 2024 season, despite keeping their previous all-stars in Arvie Bringas and Yzes Sazon, the Risers only recorded nine wins in 28 games and placing 12th in the North Division. This resulted in the team's worst season since 2018.

Home venues

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The Bataan franchise used the Bataan People's Center as their home venue in every season they played in except 2022, when they exclusively used the Orion Sports Complex (also referred to as Kamalig Sports Complex), which they would later utilize in 2024.

Venue Location 2018 2018–19 2019–20 2022 2023 2024
Bataan People's Center Balanga, Bataan Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY
Orion Sports Complex Orion, Bataan Red XN Red XN Red XN Green tickY Red XN Green tickY

Personnel

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Current roster

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Bataan Risers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 1 Robbi Darang (SGL) 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Diliman
G/F 2 Carl Bringas 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) TUP
G/F 3 Ron Lastimosa 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) National-U
F/C 6 Rey Mark Acuño 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 226 lb (103 kg) 1994–08–29 UE
G/F 8 Dominick Vera 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
G/F 10 Jeff Santos 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Lyceum
F 11 Rhaffy Octobre 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1992–01–27 Visayas
F 12 Dante Paguio Jr. (HG) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
G/F 13 James Darwin Castro (HG) 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
F/C 14 Alex Ramos 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
G 18 Edrian Mark Ramirez (SGL) 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Immaculada Concepcion
F 19 Jeremiah Soriano 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) UE
G/F 22 Yves Sazon (HG) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Philippine Christian
F 39 Jamil Gabawan (HG) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 1990–03–19 Letran
F 45 Mitchelle Maynes 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager
  • Woody Co
Legend
  • (HG) Homegrown
  • (FF) Filipino-foreigner
  • (SGL) Special Guest Licensee
  • (RS) Reserve player
  • Injured Injured
Updated as of: January 7, 2025

Head coaches

[edit]
Bataan Risers head coaches
# Name Start End Achievements Ref.
1 Jay Sierra 2018 2018 — [2]
2 Kerwin McCoy 2018 2018 —
3 Jojo Lastimosa 2018 2019 Best regular season record (2018–19) [3]
4 Jong Uichico 2019 2019 — [4]
5 Jonas Villanueva 2019 2020 —
6 JR Villanueva 2022 2022 —
7 Ricky Dandan 2022 2023 — [5]
8 Alex Callueng 2023 2023 —
9 Rene Baena 2024 2024 —
10 Goody Ilagan 2024 current —

Notable players

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MPBL All-Star Day

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PBA players

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Season-by-season records

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Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 MPBL season.

MPBL champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Regular season Playoffs
Finish Played Wins Losses Win % GB Round Results
Bataan Defenders
2018 MPBL — 8th 9 2 7 .222 6 Quarterfinals lost vs. Batangas City, 0–2
Bataan Risers
2018–19 MPBL North 1st 25 23 2 .920 — Division quarterfinals
Division semifinals 		won vs. Caloocan, 2–0
lost vs. Manila, 1–2
2019–20 MPBL North 5th 30 20 10 .667 6 Division quarterfinals lost vs. Pampanga, 0–2
2022 MPBL North 5th 21 13 8 .619 8 Division quarterfinals lost vs. Pampanga, 1–2
2023 MPBL North 9th 28 13 15 .464 13 Did not qualify
2024 MPBL North 12th 28 9 19 .321 17 Did not qualify
2025 MPBL North Ongoing season Currently in playoff contention
Regular season record 141 80 61 .567 4 playoff appearances
Playoff record 12 4 8 .333 0 finals appearances
Cumulative record 153 84 69 .549 0 championships

References

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  1. ^ Joble, Rey (January 15, 2018). "Bataan Defenders of Bai Shipping join MPBL". Business World. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  2. ^ "Ex-PBA star plays in MPBL". Tempo. January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Olivares, Rick (December 10, 2018). "Bataan coach Jojo Lastimosa ready for MPBL showdown with San Juan". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Terrado, Reuben (May 29, 2019). "Should PBA assistants be allowed to coach in MPBL? Board decides". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  5. ^ "MPBL: Bataan, Nueva Ecija stay perfect Quezon survives Mindoro". Tiebreaker Times. March 19, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  6. ^ Leongson, Randolph (January 23, 2018). "Gary David 'honored' to play for hometown Bataan in MPBL". Inquirer.Net. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
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