FRESNO, Calif. – Diamond 'Dog alum Tommy Hopfe is making his minor league debut down the street from his alma mater at Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia, Calif. for the Fresno Grizzlies, the low-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, batting seventh and playing left field.
Hopfe was selected by the Rockies in the 9th round (Pick 258) of the 2024 MLB Draft. He becomes the 10th Diamond 'Dog to don a Fresno Grizzlies uniform (LHP Dean Hartgraves, '98, RHP Steve Soderstrom, '98-99, C Giuseppe Chiaramonte, '00-'01, RHP Mark Gardner, rehab, '01, OF Tom Goodwin '02, LHP Adam Pettyjohn '04, C Trent Woodward, '15 and '17, RHP Justin Miller, '19 and OF EJ Andrews Jr., '22-24).
Hopfe spent four years with the Bulldogs, earning All-Mountain West honors in back-to-back seasons. In his tenure with the Diamond 'Dogs, the two-way player owned a .329 batting average, 194 hits, including 41 doubles, six triples and 23 home runs. In addition, he had 117 RBI, 117 runs scored, a .536 slugging percentage and a .408 on-base percentage in 175 games.
Hopfe pitched 92.2 innings in a Diamond 'Dog uniform with a 4.86 ERA in 68 appearances. He struck out 78 batters and held opponents to a .290 average with a 3-4 career record.
Serving as the Bulldogs' primary first baseman in the 2024 season, Hopfe played an integral part in Fresno State's MW Championship season. He led the team with a .360 batting average, 89 hits and 135 total bases. Hopfe also drove in 45 RBIs, 57 runs scored, 19 doubles, three triples and seven home runs.
On the mound, Hopfe pitched 17.0 innings in 16 appearances in his senior season. He had a 7.94 ERA with a 1-2 record, accumulating 21 strikeouts and allowing only 23 hits and 15 earned runs.