Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Hopscast, hosted by Jen Ellis, co hosted and produced by Sonny Fono.
Each week we'll take you behind the scenes during the 2026 Hillsborough Hops baseball season.
Anything can happen in minor league baseball and we'll bring it all to you. From exclusive interviews with players and coaches to roster updates, player call ups and even the craziest plays of the week. It's all right here on Hopscast.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: All right, we're back. It's another episode of Hopscast. I'm Jen Ellis and I'm here with my co host and my producer, Sunny Fono. What's up dude?
[00:00:37] Speaker C: Hey, what's up? What's up? What's up?
[00:00:39] Speaker B: Yeah, we, we just had a little bit of a rough homestand there with Eugene. But we already knew that it was going to be an uphill climb for the hops. We only won one game, the last game of the series, but one out of six.
I mean, you know, but there were some kind of wacky things that happened during the home stand, so. But yeah, if you want, want to chat about that, we can, we can talk about that today.
[00:01:02] Speaker C: We love weird baseball for sure. Yeah, we didn't quite run into a buzz saw with them until I guess Friday's game. Yeah, all the games were, you know, safe situations which I think were really close in score. Yeah, I think if you want to take moral victories away from, from, from that for these guys, I think that that's pretty good. They, they didn't quite seem to give up, which I haven't really seen at this level of baseball. I mean they play all the way to the last pitch. It doesn't seem like no matter how many rounds, like, you know, they're gonna still be swinging and doing their thing.
But I thought we were gonna just get, you know, 11 to ones and.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. I thought they were going to be total blowouts, but they luckily were not. So you know, I mean that has something to say for the hops. Got, got some fight in them.
[00:01:51] Speaker C: Yeah. And you know, something to say for the emeralds is, I mean they're old.
You know, we talked to Seth about it last week and the average age was somewhere, you know, in the low 20s, 23 or something like that. And they're really good.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:08] Speaker C: And it shows on the field and it seems like they have a lot of experience. And I think what we're gonna start seeing now is that a lot of these players that are coming into the minors kind of post Covid, they got that extra year of Eligibility in college. We're going to see a lot of people who are drafted out of college or elected to stay in school.
So we'll probably start seeing that average age kind of come up and those players escalate quickly through the system. Right?
[00:02:36] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly.
[00:02:37] Speaker C: I think another hop just got called up to the bigs last week.
[00:02:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it was Jesus Valdez. I think he. He got called up, but I, I looked at the transactions today. I think he's already been sent back to.
To Reno, so I think they just needed coffee.
I'm not sure if he even played or not, but. Yeah, they just. I think they just needed him to fill a spot for somebody that was injured for a day or something like that. But. But yeah, it looks like he's already back down at aaa. Yeah, I love that Fernandez is still there.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, he's. He was. He was in the Mexico City series against the.
[00:03:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was so good.
[00:03:16] Speaker C: He had a. Yeah, a couple good games there. So.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: Yeah, that was a cool series to watch too. I liked seeing their, their Serpientes uniforms and then the Padres City Connect uniforms the next day. That was cool.
[00:03:29] Speaker C: Yeah, that. That was a series I really would have loved to go to.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: Yeah, just.
[00:03:35] Speaker C: Just to be down there and. And in that element.
It looks like such a.
Just a cool environment for baseball.
[00:03:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it does, for sure.
[00:03:43] Speaker C: I'm also really interested in checking out a Liga game.
The Tiana Toros signed Justin Turner and he's playing third base for them. And I think Yvis Solarte is down there as well, so that would be pretty cool. Catch a Tauros game. I. I need to do it and then expense it because that way I can better provide music for Sonodorus games and.
[00:04:15] Speaker B: Yes, you're doing research.
[00:04:17] Speaker C: Yeah, so exactly. You know, I'll get the company start out for sure. The powers that. You'll be thrilled to give me a per diem for that and that would be great.
So, yeah, this week. This week was great for us. You and I just on a professional relationship because you got to the opportunity to do PA on Tuesday and Wednesday and I got to do music for you. So that was really fun to work. Be working side by side so early in the series and a couple games in a row. I really had a great time and I want to make sure that I let you know and let our listeners know. You did such a good job on
[00:04:52] Speaker B: pa. Oh, thank you.
It was.
[00:04:55] Speaker C: And we worked. We've worked dozens of games together throughout our career. Yeah, that was your best performance. I mean you really sounded great.
You were perfect. It was perfect and you did a really great job.
[00:05:07] Speaker B: So I love doing it. Thank you. It's my favorite thing to do. So anytime I, I get the chance to, I'm always excited for it. So that means a lot. Thank you.
[00:05:17] Speaker C: That's Tuesday and Wednesday and then Thursday you were off because we had our annual 11am first pitch stem game.
[00:05:25] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:05:26] Speaker C: We welcome all the kids from all the schools and that was a raucous, wild environment. It was really fun to have all the kids roaming around and making noise and being, you know, kids. It was pretty hectic walking in. We got to see the flood in of all the children and all the screaming high pitched noises and it was just really fun. And the stem game's always tons of fun when you know, they're able to table out there in the outfield. And it was our first one at the new ballpark and it seemed to go pretty smoothly. So that was a really, really nice time. And then I had to take off for some other business out of town. So you, you took Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you jumped in my seat and ran music. How'd it go?
[00:06:10] Speaker B: Yes,
[00:06:13] Speaker C: how'd it go?
[00:06:18] Speaker B: Yeah, it was good. We, let's see, Friday night, you know, is not, not really an eventful game, I guess, but Saturday was the one that we almost got to see a no hitter, which, you know, I mean, I don't know how often that's happened in Hops history, but I mean, I'm pretty sure there's been at least one or two, at least combined no hitters. But the Hops are throwing, you know, no hit, no hit into the seventh inning. I guess.
So yeah, they were throwing a no hitter into the seventh combined no hitter with three different pitchers. And then as soon as our wonderful PA announcer Jason Swagard Swag said, oh, it's just a combined no hitter, it doesn't matter as much, you know, then the Emeralds sure enough get their first hit right after that. And you know, I mean, we like to say ahaha. We don't have any control over it. But it's just so odd that sometimes when broadcasters or PA announcers or people in the booth will say something like that, sure enough, the other team immediately gets their first hit. So I don't know what that's about. But what do you feel about combined no hitters? Do you think that they count as much as regular no hitters just thrown by one guy?
[00:07:38] Speaker C: Well, I think that, I think that there's kind of a mix here. So a no hitter by one pitcher, complete game, no hitter is pure dominance by the pitcher.
A combined no hitter.
[00:07:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:07:55] Speaker C: Is some sort of incompetence of the lineup of batters. I don't really know if it counts the same. I would say that the complete game no hitter by one pitcher that's just on fire is kind of a dominant thing. And then a combined no hitter is just a little bit more of an embarrassment or for the team that's suffering it.
[00:08:21] Speaker B: Right.
[00:08:21] Speaker C: Yeah, I think that that's just something that's just kind of like, well, dang, we didn't have it against this other guy too. But, you know, I don't know how many times I've also seen, you know, just watching tons of baseball in my life where you have a no hitter through seven. You change a pitcher out in the first pitch.
[00:08:39] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:08:40] Speaker C: You know, you're like, well, I guess the other guy could have done that too.
So sometimes going to the bullpen can. Can bite you. But I think that, you know, a no hitter is a no hitter. It goes in. The place is zero hits. But a singular pitcher, that's a no hitter. A combined no hitter is an asterisk in my mind. And then secondarily, I wanted to. Do you believe in. In that? Because I talked to some broadcasters around baseball and they go, oh, there's nothing to that. We're not supposed to say anything on the air. And, you know, it's a jinx. But they're like, yeah, a broadcaster can't jinx a game. And I'm like, I think you can.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I. Like, I. I think you can.
[00:09:19] Speaker C: I think you do. And I think it's your fault.
[00:09:23] Speaker B: Yes, indeed. I know it's so funny, but it's just. It's just such a funny, weird. Like, could it be. Is it really a coincidence?
I don't know.
[00:09:33] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, no, I think it's Swag's fault that they got a hit. And then it is totally his fault.
[00:09:39] Speaker B: Yeah, we blamed him.
[00:09:42] Speaker C: It's just like the other press box a little bts, like, if anybody says extras or extra innings.
[00:09:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:49] Speaker C: It almost always goes into extras.
[00:09:51] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:52] Speaker C: Extra innings. And, you know, we're. I'm there for a pretty long time, so sometimes I'm ready to get up out of the chair. But I love free baseball too. But sure, you know, it's like, okay, well, who said it? You know?
[00:10:06] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, it's your fault. Yeah. What's the. What's the closest you've. Like, what's the, the closest you've seen to a no hitter in person?
[00:10:17] Speaker C: I saw Jonathan Sanchez. No. Hit the Padres in 2009.
[00:10:21] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:10:23] Speaker C: @t Park.
[00:10:24] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: The Giants pitcher. Yeah, I watched, I watched the whole game.
[00:10:29] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:10:30] Speaker C: And I was actually wearing Padres gear and was just getting roasted by Giants fans the whole way. It was, it was really kind of quite incredible. But the craziest part is that we had Tony Gwynn Jr. Playing center field and I was like, if anybody can get a hit, it's supposed to be you, dude. Yeah, so I saw that one. And then I saw Tim Lincet come though, hit the Padres in San Diego. So.
Yeah, I don't like it.
[00:10:59] Speaker B: Yeah, no. Well, when it's being thrown against the team that you're rooting for, that's got to be rough. For sure.
[00:11:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't like it. I haven't seen one happen here in Hillsborough or in my career working. I haven't seen it. Or a complete game. No hitter. There's always been something that's happened, so.
[00:11:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:16] Speaker C: But I've definitely seen some dominant pitching outings.
[00:11:20] Speaker B: Yeah, we were, when we were in Toronto a couple of years back, we, the starting pitcher for Toronto, Bowden Francis, was throwing a no hitter into the ninth, and when he came back out for the ninth inning, I mean, the crowd just went nuts. And I mean, because I wasn't sure if he was even going to come back out for the ninth and they let him go back out. And the first hitter in the ninth inning was Francisco.
The home run, right first pitch, I was like, oh, man, we were so close. We were three outs away.
[00:11:52] Speaker C: All right, so while we're on the topic with no hitters, how do you feel about a bunt breaking up a no hitter late in the game?
[00:11:59] Speaker B: Oh, you know, I really feel like lately in the last year or two, since we've seen a lot at the developmental level, just how much it takes to lay down a, an accurate bunt. I mean, it's not as easy as you would think. Think it might possibly be. But I, I think it, I mean, hey, I think it's okay. I, I probably a couple years ago I would have been like, no way, man. But now I'm like, okay, I'm all right with that.
[00:12:30] Speaker C: Yeah, they, you know, some people call it bush league, but I would see someone like a manager like Bruce Bochi or someone, you know, one of these old, what do they call them, Red ass type managers that would definitely, you know, you know, call for a bun and it's like beat the bunt. The other thing statistically, and it depends on the score, is that usually if someone reaches base on a bunt, it's a throwing error instead of an actual bunt based hit.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly.
[00:12:59] Speaker C: So, you know, it's kind of up to the score in that situation.
But I mean, all's fair in baseball. If, if you want a complete game, no hitter, then field the bunt.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:13:11] Speaker C: You know, do it, record the out, so.
[00:13:14] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly.
[00:13:16] Speaker C: It's just kind of some of those rules. I, I don't really call too much of anything bush league or, or anything like that that, you know, it's baseball. You make the plays or you don't and, you know, anything can happen, so.
[00:13:30] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly.
[00:13:31] Speaker C: But yeah, I don't like, I don't like no hitters because, you know, my whole life growing up as a Padres fan, we had Tony Gwynn, so we never had to suffer that. And then, you know, he's gone for a few years and we get no hit three times by the San Francisco Giants.
While I lived in San Francisco. It was painful.
[00:13:51] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I, I get it. I hear you.
[00:13:55] Speaker C: So.
So we end up. You. We had a fireworks show a Friday. How was that?
[00:14:00] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, it was great. They. They block off like a certain section of the parking lot kind of from like where our press box is. If you're looking towards the batter's eye, it was just kind of just past, like you couldn't see it past the batter's eye where the setup was. But yeah, it was a really cool fireworks show. It turned out really nicely. The music was awesome.
You did a great job with that.
So, yeah, everybody, everybody enjoyed the, the music that you set up for me. And yeah, it was, it was a good, it was a good show. And then Sunday was our Sonia Dores game. It was a beautiful day at the ballpark and lots of, lots of great food items that were there. Like, I always love when they have like the, the shave ice and the, the tacos and all the things out in the, on the concourse. It was awesome. It was a really great day. But, yeah, that was the day we won, so. Yay.
[00:14:57] Speaker C: Yeah. And it was day of, you know, day of the Diaz de los Libros.
[00:15:03] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:15:03] Speaker C: Which Yvonne informed us on. Did you get a chance to go out there and check out the book table?
[00:15:08] Speaker B: Yeah, I did. I did get to see and it's the same author that he's. He's written a couple of the Barley and me friends, books and stuff like that, which are super cute and just really adorable. But he had the first bilingual one this time. It was really awesome. And he had a. He know Ivon interviewed him up on the big screen during the game. So all the, all the fans there got to hear that.
That interview with him. So that was cool. But yeah.
[00:15:35] Speaker C: Oh, cool. And then Swag is back, so that's good news.
[00:15:39] Speaker B: Yeah, our PA announcer is back and he'll be back the next series that we start up in the middle of. When's the next one?
We have two weeks off. So the, the Hops are in Vancouver starting tonight for six games.
[00:15:55] Speaker C: I want to go.
[00:15:57] Speaker B: Yeah, Vancouver is a fun ballpark. It's really cool for a week and then they come back home on May 12 for a series against Spokane.
[00:16:07] Speaker C: Okay, so they're going to. Are they going Vancouver and then Everett? Is that.
[00:16:12] Speaker B: Yes, that's correct. Yeah.
[00:16:14] Speaker C: So Vancouver is.
Right now. They are.
Let me see here.
The hops are 7 and 14.
So we're.
[00:16:35] Speaker B: We're tied for last place with like Spokane and.
Yeah.
[00:16:40] Speaker C: And Vancouver's coming in at 9 and 12. I think they've probably run into Eugene recently, obviously.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: Yep. Yeah.
[00:16:48] Speaker C: So we're. It seems like it's probably going to be a pretty straight up matchup tonight, Tuesday that this is dropping.
We have Hageman pitching and we only saw him for two innings. He kind of had more of an opener role. So I wonder if they're going to stretch him out a little bit more or have him open and have Ayers follow as they did last week.
[00:17:12] Speaker B: Right.
[00:17:13] Speaker C: And it looks like we're going up against one on one with a 233 ERA.
Should be a pretty fun series.
[00:17:23] Speaker B: Yeah, we also.
Yeah, I was going to say real quick back to the previous. We did get to see Tommy Henry do a rehab start.
He's coming back from Tommy John surgery. He was up with the big club last two years ago, so. Yeah, he's coming back from Tommy John. He had a rehab start in Hillsborough the other night and I, I don't think that he was there trying to get a bunch of outs. I think he was just trying to warm up his arm and get his arm strength back up because the, the Emeralds kind of hit him pretty hard. But. But again, he was, you know, he's trying to build back up from Tommy John, so. But it was good to see him back in Hillsborough because I was there for his Hops debut back in 2019, so it's fun.
[00:18:06] Speaker C: It was really cool that they have a.
If you come to the house ballpark.
You'll see a list of everybody's names on one of the walls who's made it to the bigs. It's played for the hops that's made it to the big leagues. And the team posted a photo of him pointing at his name.
[00:18:24] Speaker B: Yeah, that was so cute.
[00:18:25] Speaker C: Which I thought was really cool.
[00:18:27] Speaker B: Yeah, that's cool. I will send you a picture to that you can post on our. Our page of him. I took of him in the mavericks uniform in 2019, the red and white and black Maverick's uniform that you can post on our our page.
[00:18:40] Speaker C: Yeah, I have one of those hats. So.
[00:18:42] Speaker B: Yeah, those, those are sweet. Cool.
[00:18:45] Speaker C: So we're coming up against Vancouver this week.
We can tune in. Fans can tune in on TV or on the radio. I think they bump it from Rip City Radio tonight for the Blazers game. And then you can catch the radio calls and, and then. Or watch it online however you want to watch it. And I think we're going to try to get together with their broadcaster, Tyler Zickle.
[00:19:11] Speaker B: That's right, Z.
[00:19:13] Speaker C: Tomorrow to do just kind of a, a recap of last night's game and.
Or tomorrow it will be last night's game and, and just kind of look at the roster. Just a little bit of a preview and a quick rundown from him and then he's going to join us quote unquote in studio when the Canadians come to town in a few weeks.
[00:19:34] Speaker B: So that would be awesome.
[00:19:36] Speaker C: Perfect.
I think that's gonna about do it for this week.
[00:19:41] Speaker B: Yeah, that's it. That's all we got for, for the week. All right, y', all, thanks for joining us.
[00:19:46] Speaker C: Yeah. And then I'll drop. We'll drop in with you next week and we'll kind of recap the Canadian series and see what other weird baseball and stuff we can talk about. And we're still efforting a bunch of different interviews and in the upcoming road during the road trip. So yeah, keep an ear out, subscribe and we'll be dropping more content for you guys as we move along.
[00:20:11] Speaker B: Sounds good.
[00:20:14] Speaker C: All right, well, for Jen Ellis, I'm Sonny Fono. This is the Hopscast. Thanks for tuning in.
[00:20:19] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to this episode of Hopscast hosted by Jen Ellis and co hosted and produced by Sunny Phono. Join us again next week as we take you inside the 2026 Hillsborough Hopps clubhouse. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe.
