Jack Hopko sits atop D-I in RBIs in Record-Breaking Season
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
After preseason game vs. Chargers, Rams remain mum about Matthew Stafford
It's been a strange few weeks for the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford. And it got stranger than it has been on Saturday. That's the day Stafford was expected to work out again, a week after throwing 60-plus passes sparked a setback in his recovery from a back problem. Before the team's preseason game against the Chargers, a Rams spokesman declined to comment on whether the workout actually occurred. The spokesman deferred comment to coach Sean McVay, when he next meets with reporters on Monday. Then, after the game, assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant (who played the role of head coach for the annual preseason Battle of L.A.) was equally secretive. 'At this point in time, anything regarding Mr. Stafford, I'm going to wait for Coach McVay to address you guys on Monday,' Pleasant told reporters Pleasant wouldn't even say whether Stafford was present for the game. 'Anything regarding Mr. Stafford, I'm going to let Sean go ahead and regard that,' Pleasant said. 'To be honest with you, I was so tapped into the ones that had jerseys on, honestly, that's what I'd say.' Quarterback Stetson Bennett got the memo, too. Asked whether he saw Stafford on the sideline during the game, Bennett said, 'I was so locked in each and every snap. I didn't really look too closely.' The circumstances require a closer look at what's going on. There's no magic to Monday. McVay can hold a conference call whenever he wants, if there's something to say about Stafford. (And there apparently is.) Alternatively, a statement could be issued. Whatever the situation may be, it's a strange pivot from transparency to secrecy for the Rams. And it suggests that the situation is far from ideal. Frankly, it invites speculation that the Rams may think they need to find a quarterback to compete with and/or supplant Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter, and that they plan to use Sunday to try to do a deal with someone else, before the world knows they may be desperate. That's an extreme explanation, I know. But that's the kind of thing that would justify the Rams' abrupt pivot from talking about Stafford to sealing the vault on their starting quarterback until Monday. If Stafford's season is suddenly in jeopardy, a trade for Kirk Cousins becomes an obvious possibility. McVay served as the offensive coordinator in Washington from 2014 through 2016, when Cousins was the starter. And McVay remains a big believer in Cousins. As is 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Which would make the Rams-Niners rivalry (and competition for the NFC West crown) far more interesting. For now, the most interesting thing is Stafford's status. The Rams' are being strategically silent. Unless they decide to say or to leak something today, we'll find out why that's happening.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Rams Star Talks About How Much Longer He Will Play in NFL
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Plenty of folks are picking the Los Angeles Rams to finish first in the NFC West this season. The team won the division last year with a 10-7 record, and an argument could be made that they have improved a bit. They have essentially replaced oft-injured wide receiver Cooper Kupp with six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams, and they have a cadre of studs such as wideout Puka Nacua, running back Kyren Williams, defensive ends Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and linebacker Jared Verse. Adams will turn 32 years of age on Christmas Eve, and while it seems he has plenty left in his tank, others feel he's on a downward trajectory. He recently made an appearance on "The Pivot Podcast" and explained when he'll know it's time for him to retire from the NFL. "The moment that I cannot go out there and decide when I'm gonna impose my will on somebody, I won't be playing anymore," Adams said. "My pride, I've got too much of it to get out there and just have somebody putting their hands on me. ... If that's what's happening to me, then just tell me 'Hey, Te.' Go and tap my shoulder and get (me) up out of there." Read more: 49ers' Brock Purdy Gets Honest About Christian McCaffrey Retirement is a major shift in people's lives, whether they're pro athletes or not. One must find something meaningful to fill his or her time with afterward, and if one isn't able to do so, the result could be trying to return to one's former career or simply going through life forlorn and feeling empty. Aaron Rodgers #12 and Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on September 20 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Aaron Rodgers #12 and Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on September 20 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dylan Buell/Getty When Adams was younger, he was Aaron Rodgers' No. 1 target on the Green Bay Packers. He exceeded the 1,300-yard mark four times and the 1,500-yard mark twice, and he led the league in touchdown receptions twice, which resulted in six straight Pro Bowl nods. Adams was shockingly traded to the Las Vegas Raiders three years ago, and midway through 2024, he reunited with Rodgers following a trade to the New York Jets. Both the Raiders and Jets finished under .500 with Adams, and he's finally back in a winning situation in L.A. Read more: ESPN Offers Shocking Future Prediction for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray One key Rams player who is likely closer to retirement than Adams is quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford led the Rams to the Super Bowl championship during the 2021 season, and while he has missed just three games over the last two years, the 37-year-old has been banged up since getting his ring. Despite all the wear and tear he has, L.A. decided to give him a two-year contract extension this offseason. But he's currently dealing with an aggravated disk in his back, and he hasn't been practicing, let alone playing in preseason games. For more on the Rams and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Whose house? Rams and Chargers fans debate which team is the 'alphas' of L.A.
Tangled shades of blue flooded the SoFi Stadium concourse. Powder blue jerseys brushed past royal blue horns in burger lines. Bolt-painted faces mingled with fans in throwback Rams gold. 'Whose house?' blared the stadium announcer. 'Rams House!' much of the crowd replied. Though in pockets of powder blue, the response came with a shrug, or with nothing at all. That question — whose team truly owns the Los Angeles pro football market — lingers nearly a decade after the Rams and the Chargers settled into the city's football landscape. The Rams, who won a Super Bowl title in 2022, sport a polish that no argument over fan bases can scrub away. Meanwhile, the Chargers' growing base insists this is just as much their town. Read more: Rams mum on whether Matthew Stafford worked out: Takeaways from preseason win During the Rams' 23-22 victory Saturday, the score felt secondary to the fans staking out territory. Jerry Quinones, 59, is a four-year Chargers season ticket holder. A retired first responder, he rarely misses a home game. But even from his usual seat in section 330, he acknowledged the nuance between the teams. 'Rams got more of a family base,' Quinones said. 'I wish the Chargers [would] have it, but they don't. They got cheerleaders, we don't.' Three levels below, on the field-level patio behind the end zone, Rams fan Gill Marquez, 25, yanked proudly at his Britain Covey jersey and repeated, 'We run L.A.' 'It means a lot to be a Rams fan,' Marquez said. 'I feel it deep down in my soul. We brought a championship to L.A. and that made a great point that we're the real team here.' Not every Rams fan put it quite so forcefully. Bob Gerard said he moved to L.A. from Chicago and hitched onto the Rams when they returned in 2016. The 58-year-old, who donned a Puka Nacua jersey, joked that he's fine letting the Chargers crash at SoFi — so long as the arrangement isn't mistaken. 'It's actually the Rams' house,' Gerard said, 'we just kind of Airbnb it out to [the Chargers] every other weekend.'' Chase Hay, outfitted in a palm-patterned Hawaiian shirt splashed with Rams logos, cut a looser figure while chatting with Chargers and Rams fans at the field level bar. For Hay, 36, the Rams are a family tradition more than a rivalry — a team he stuck with because of his grandfather, and one he believes can share the city without losing its roots. Read more: With Chargers back in San Diego, players hope to win back their traditional fan base 'Being NFC and AFC, there's a lot of room to coexist with both of us here — until we're playing each other,' said Hay, a marketing professional. 'But I don't see the Chargers as a threat.' Eric Robles, 22, said his answer to 'Whose house?' comes from two hours south. The San Diego native, wearing a Justin Herbert jersey, stood as Rams fans cracked jokes around him, his lifelong allegiance rooted in the Chargers' past — and Herbert, who he said is the team's future. Herbert, the Chargers' star quarterback, is a resounding reason for Chargers fans to trust in the trajectory of their club. Read more: Quentin Johnston carted off after big hit: Takeaways from Chargers' preseason loss Ed Kim had a powder-blue flag wrapped around his shoulders, the Chargers' lightning bolt stretching across his back. 'We're the greatest organization in Los Angeles right now,' he said. 'The Rams are the Clippers of Los Angeles — they're second fiddle to us. Because we have the greatest quarterback in Justin Herbert. So basically, we're the alphas.' If Kim brought conviction, Angel Herrera brought theater: he was dressed in a gleaming blue-and-gold luchador mask, a flowing Chargers cape and a thick chain of metallic beads in Chargers colors. A heavy WWE championship belt hung over his No. 97 jersey. By halftime, he had posed for close to 30 photos with young Chargers fans. 'Honest truth, L.A. is more of a Rams town — only because they recently won,' Herrera said. 'It's gonna be a long route before more Chargers fans come around, but it's gonna happen. We got Herbert, so it's not gonna be that long.' As fans streamed out of the stadium, the debate continued. Some might point to Super Bowl banners and shout, 'Rams House!' Others might shake their heads, trusting San Diego roots and Herbert's promise. For now, it's a house divided, but one with room for all. Read more: Rams aren't just trying to win over L.A. They strive to be 'the world's team' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
