Hillsboro Hops hold 10th anniversary home opener

HILLSBORO Ore. (KPTV) – The Hillsboro Hops opened up their northwest league season on the road, but tonight, the class High-A farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks are on their home diamond.

A decade of pro ball in Hillsboro has climbed up the vine to the High-A level -- that’s April to September baseball.

First-time manager Ronnie Gajownik already has three-games under her belt and two victories in Pasco over the weekend.

Gajownik is the first female manager in club history and the second all-time in Minor League history, the second woman in as many years.

SEE ALSO: Hillsboro Hops beginning 10th season with a big first for the league

FOX 12 spoke with the 29-year-old former softball star at South Florida on the significance of opening night.

“It is going to be really cool,” Gajownik says. “I like to close my eyes, ever since I started playing, I always close my eyes during the national anthem and picture myself when I was a little kid, or when I was playing college softball or with Team USA for the Women’s Baseball Team -- to be able to put myself back in there and then realize where I am at now, it’s pretty cool.”

Tuesday’s 6:35 p.m. 1st pitch against Everett is the first of 66 at home in a 132-game campaign to chase down the Northwest League pennant.

It’ll be a six-game homestand and the sun is supposed to come through in the clutch this weekend for afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday.

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