Jack Hopko sits atop D-I in RBIs in Record-Breaking Season
KINGSTON, RI (WIVT/WBGH) – At the D-I level, it's a competitive atmosphere, but one local we've covered quite a bit since the season opened continues to light it up.
Maine-Endwell product Jack Hopko's incredible season continues as the Rhode Island Rams inch their way toward the A-10 conference tournament. As the season has progressed, he has continued to impress and bring in the accolades.
'Obviously, stats are something you try not to think about, but when you see it all over the place, it's kind of hard not to, said Hopko on how he leads D-I in RBIs. 'So, I mean, yeah, it's obviously a great stat to have. It's just a credit to the guys in front of me that are getting on base.'
Hopko leads not only the Rams and the conference but the entirety of Division I in runs batted in, currently sitting at 69, and he has one less game than the man he sits atop the list with.
'The game just becomes easier,' he said. 'When there's guys on base, it changes from you're trying to create something to just producing runs and getting the guys in.'
Hopko is currently batting a team best .367. The Rams currently sit atop the Atlantic-10 conference, with it being a close race at the top of the standings where 1st and 5th are separated by a game and a half. The Rams in 1st at 14-6, and 5th is Davidson at 13-8.
In Rhode Island's most recent game, Hopko went 4/6 with 7 RBIs and 3 home runs in a win against George Mason, who currently sits 3rd in the conference at 13-7. Despite going 1-2 in that weekend series, it's about how you bounce back.
'Getting that last win was kind of just a bounce back for us and showed us what we're capable of,' said Hopko. 'I mean, our offense kind of exploded in that last game, and our pitching staff threw well too.'
Next up, Hopko and the Rams face off against UConn, where there is a chance he could stand across from an old high school rival and former U-E Tiger, Jude Abbadessa, who could be on the mound when he steps to the plate. That game gets underway at 6 pm and can be watched on UConn+.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Davante Adams Sends Clear Message on Relationship With Rams' Puka Nacua
Davante Adams Sends Clear Message on Relationship With Rams' Puka Nacua originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Rams have retooled quite quickly after they went 5-12 in 2022 just one season after they won the Super Bowl championship. Advertisement They have won 10 games and made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and thanks to the addition of wide receiver Davante Adams and a cadre of young studs, they have high hopes for this fall and winter. Adams, a six-time Pro Bowler, could end up being an upgrade over the outgoing Cooper Kupp, and fellow Rams wideout Puka Nacua said that Adams is already having a positive effect on his new team. "The positive impact has already been felt from Davante," Nacua said. Adams, in turn, returned the favor on Instagram. "Special dude," his caption read. Davante Adams, Instagram Adams made his name as a member of the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2021 alongside future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. A second-round draft pick in 2014 out of Fresno State, the Northern California native grew into Rodgers' favorite target within a few years. Advertisement The Packers traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2022 campaign, and although the Raiders weren't successful with him, he continued to produce at a high level. New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Last year, Adams was shipped at midseason to the New York Jets, where he was reunited with Rodgers. Although the Jets went just 5-12, he still managed to catch 85 passes and post 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns. The Rams are hoping that at age 32, he still has plenty left in his tank. Assuming he does, he could turn them into a true dark horse team in an improved NFC and make the race for the conference more interesting. Related: Russell Wilson's Four-Word Message Catches Attention on Wednesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
Saints try out former Rams Super Bowl champ, Vikings and Texans RB Cam Akers
Saints try out former Rams Super Bowl champ, Vikings and Texans RB Cam Akers It might be now or never for the former five-star recruit This could be interesting. The New Orleans Saints are trying out a big-name running back at this week's mandatory minicamp practices, per Nick Underhill. Cam Akers didn't meet expectations as a former second-round pick with the Los Angeles Rams (out of Florida State), and he struggled to get going last year with the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans, so this may be his last opportunity to catch on with a new team and revitalize his career. It's not uncommon for teams to bring in free agents for tryouts like this at the start of the summer; the Saints did just that with another running back, David Johnson, a few years back. But Akers still has a lot of tread left on his tires. He'll turn 26 on June 22 and has only logged 502 carries in his five-year pro career. He's clearly very talented as a former five-star high school recruit. He just hasn't been able to put it together in the NFL. And it might be now or never for him. He's been traded in each of the last two seasons, from the Rams to the Vikings and from Minnesota to Houston, without ever establishing himself as his new team's top option. But the Saints don't need him to do that. They just need to see whether he can be an effective compliment to Alvin Kamara. They brought back guys like Kendre Miller and Clyde Edwards-Helaire while adding rookies Devin Neal and Marcus Yarns to that competition, plus Velus Jones Jr. and Xazavian Valladay. They were in on Nick Chubb before he signed with the Texans, too. Maybe Akers shows them something they'll like in this extended tryout.
Fox Sports
12 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Snake eyes: D-backs' $425 million investment in starting pitching hasn't gone as planned
Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — The normally budget-conscious Arizona Diamondbacks have been willing to spend big money over the past several years, taking chances on the notoriously volatile market of free agent starting pitching. So far, it's a bet that has come up snake eyes. Over the past 5 1/2 years, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick has committed roughly $425 million to four pitchers — Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez and Madison Bumgarner. The combined return on that investment: A 30-48 record, 5.25 ERA, minus-0.4 WAR and two Tommy John surgeries. Yikes. The latest bad news came on June 1 when Burnes — who signed a $210 million, six-year deal in January — abruptly left a game against the Nationals with right elbow pain. Now he's set to undergo Tommy John surgery and might not return to the mound until 2027. It's a brutal blow for the D-backs, who have a 31-34 record heading into Monday night's game against the Mariners. The 30-year-old Burnes seemed like the safest bet on the market last winter when the D-backs made the signing. The four-time All-Star and 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner had been remarkably consistent and healthy over the previous four seasons, making at least 28 starts every year. 'I might as well do another job if we're going to be scared of bringing in a guy of this caliber on your team,' Arizona's general manager Mike Hazen said at Burnes' introductory news conference. Added Kendrick: 'We're stretching the budget. It won't be the last time.' And for two months, he was everything Hazen, Kendrick and the D-backs hoped for with a 3-2 record and 2.66 ERA. Now he's out for the foreseeable future. It's the latest in a bad run of luck for Arizona's front office. It's also a brutal reminder of the substantial risk in handing out big money to pitchers in an era when injuries are happening at an alarming rate. The D-backs aren't the only team facing the same problem, even in their own division. The Los Angeles Dodgers currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list — including starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Tony Gonsolin. Snell has made just two starts this season because of injuries after signing a $182 millon, five-year deal in the offseason. The difference is the Dodgers seem to have nearly unlimited money to keep adding talent. The D-backs do not. The string of disappointing signings started in December 2019, when the D-backs added Bumgarner with a $85 million, five-year deal. The lefty had declined from his peak in the early-to-mid 2010s, when he led the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles, but there was reason to believe he would be a solid middle-of-the-rotation option. Instead, he regressed even more in the desert, going 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA over a little more than three seasons. The D-backs released him in 2023 after he had a 10.26 ERA through four starts, eating more than $30 million in the process. The D-backs made a surprise run to the World Series that year and invested in a pair of pitchers — Montgomery and Rodriguez — during the ensuing offseason. Montgomery signed a $25 million, one-year deal with a vesting option for 2025. Rodriguez was added on an $80 million, four-year deal. Much like the Bumgarner signing, both seemed like good deals at the time. Montgomery had just helped the Rangers beat the Diamondbacks in the World Series and was a solid lefty with a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the previous three seasons. Rodriguez was coming off one of the best seasons of his career after going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA for the Detroit Tigers. Things haven't worked out for either pitcher. Montgomery was awful in 2024 with a 6.23 ERA and eventually demoted to the bullpen. But because he made 21 starts, his vesting option for $22.5 million kicked in for 2025. His bid for a bounce-back season ended before it even started. The lefty got hurt during spring training in March and needed Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, ending his time in the desert. Rodriguez hurt his shoulder during spring training in 2024 and didn't make his D-backs debut until August, contributing a 5.04 ERA as the team faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs. He's battled injuries and ineffectiveness again this year with a 6.70 ERA through 10 starts. There's still time for the Rodriguez and Burnes deals to take a turn for the better. Even if Burnes doesn't return until 2027, he'd have four more years remaining on his deal. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo chose to remain optimistic following Burnes' injury. 'We're all with Corbin right now,' Lovullo said. 'This is a tough day to get this news. But we'll find a way to rally around him, play hard for him all year long. ... It's a long road, and it takes time for him to heal and recover. And he will. He'll be great for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I'm convinced of it.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
