Hops Say Goodbye to Hillsboro Ballpark
Published on September 1, 2025 under Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
Twelve seasons. Four thousand, four hundred and sixty days. Six hundred and thirteen games. Sixty-five walkoff wins. Three league championships. And countless memories for Hops fans.
Those are just some of the facts about Hillsboro Ballpark, the home of the Hillsboro Hops since their inaugural season in 2013. On Sunday, the Hops played their final game in their longtime home; their new yet-to-be-named stadium, currently under construction, opens on April 7, 2026.
Sunday's home finale featured none of the magic longtime fans have come to associate with Hillsboro Ballpark, as the Vancouver Canadians swamped the Hops, 11-1. Canadians starter Austin Cates took a perfect game into the sixth inning, and ended up throwing six shutout frames for the second time in the series. Cates- who also started the opener of the six-game series on Tuesday- worked 12 innings in his two starts, allowing just four hits (all singles), no runs, no walks, and recording 17 strikeouts.
And his teammates backed him up. First baseman Carter Cunningham left Hops fans with a lasting memory in the bottom of the fourth, pulling off a rare feat- his three-run homer flew over the net in right field and settled into the Hondo Dog Park on the other side of Century Boulevard. The Canadians added three more runs in the fifth (two on a single by Cunningham, who ended up with five RBIs), two more in the sixth, and two in the ninth.
The Hops could only muster three hits. Jeremiah Boyd broke up Cates' perfecto with a ground ball into right field with one out in the sixth. Anderdson Rojas had a bunt single leading off the eighth. And later in the eighth Boyd doubled into the left-field corner to bring home Rojas with the Hops' only run.
The Hops (24-36 in the second half, 57-69 overall) and Canadians (36-24, 73-53) will both miss the playoffs. With a week remaining in the season, the Northwest League Championship Series is set. First-half champion Everett and second-half champ Eugene will meet in the best-of-five finals beginning Tuesday, Sept. 9th in Eugene.
The loss did little to dampen the festive spirits of 3,823 fans on hand on a bright, mid-80s afternoon. They came to get one last look at the Hops in their longtime home. They came to celebrate a dozen seasons of memorable family entertainment. And they came to gawk across the parking lot at the new park, in anticipation of the memories to be made there.
At the end of the game, Hops players stood outside the first-base dugout, taking a brief opportunity to return the favor- the Hops clapped and cheered toward the stands, saluting Hops Nation, the knowledgeable and fervent fans that have backed them, win or lose.
Two other numbers of note: 376 players to have played in Northwest League games at Hillsboro Ballpark since 2013 have gone on to play in the major leagues. That includes 64 former Hops. Both numbers will grow significantly over the next few years as others work their way to the top.
Hillsboro has the youngest team in the NWL in 2025, with position players averaging 21.4 years old, and pitchers averaging 22.6 (league average is 22.3 and 23.2). And while their won-loss record isn't what they'd hoped, the 2025 Hops have featured a higher-than-average number of players who could make an impact in the major leagues.
Versatile infielder Jansel Luis (age 20) is hitting .299. Slick-fielding shortstop Cristofer Torin (also age 20) is hitting .282. Outfielder Slade Caldwell (age 19, in his first pro year) has hit better than .300 in August. Druw Jones (age 21) has hit better than .300 over the past two months, and is already a major-league caliber center fielder. Outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, one of the best hitters in the league when promoted to Double-A in late June, is currently hitting .297 at Amarillo.
Starting pitcher Daniel Eagen, who could win the NWL Pitcher of the Year award, was 7-5 with a 2.49 ERA prior to his promotion to Double-A in late August. And the Hops have sent many relievers to higher levels this year- Philip Abner, Hayden Durke, Eli Saul and Carlos Rey, to name a few- with Abner and Durke already on the doorstep of the major leagues with Triple-A Reno.
The Hops' season concludes this week with a six-game series on the road against the Angels' NWL affiliate, the Tri-City Dust Devils. The games Tuesday through Saturday nights will begin at 6:30PM, with Sunday's season finale starting at 1:30. Each day's pregame show will begin 15 minutes prior to the first pitch. All games can be heard on Rip City Radio 620AM and at www.RipCityRadio.com.
Northwest League Stories from September 1, 2025
- Austin Cates Named NWL Pitcher of the Week - Vancouver Canadians
- Hops Say Goodbye to Hillsboro Ballpark - Hillsboro Hops
- Mariners Select Harry Ford - Everett AquaSox
- Tri-City Sweeps Weekend, Splits with Spokane - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Indians Drop Home Finale to Dust Devils, 5-2 - Spokane Indians
- Thank You to the Best Fans in Baseball - Spokane Indians
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
