Phithak Hopkhop

Phithak Hopkhop

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 148 lb.

• Born October 13, 2000 in Savannakhet Province Laos

Biographical Information

Phithak Hopkhop has played for the Laotian national team.

Laos debuted in the 2018 Asian Games; the teenager was the team's tallest player, though on another team he would have been deemed short (South Korea, for instance, had only one player shorter than his 5' 10"). He was both their first starting pitcher and first cleanup hitter, against Thailand. He began by allowing a single to Suratit Faengsup and walking Naruephol Muangkasem. Joe Daru hit into a force for the first batter he retired. He later fanned Chayaphat Suanthong and Sakai Phraechai in that inning, but allowed two runs (one earned) on three walks, the one single and an error. He got his first at-bat in the second and struck out against Siraphop Nadee. He began the second by striking out Phoomwut Wutthikorn and Faengsup but would finish the inning with four walks, two hits and four runs (all earned) before striking out Phraechai for the second time. After the third opened with an error, he was relieved by Cola Phouangkeo. He took the decision in an unsurprising 15-0 loss for the newcomers.

In their other game, versus Sri Lanka, he started at catcher and again hit cleanup. His first-inning triple off Chamika Yasas scored Soukhalom Thatsaphone and Nalor Gniatou with Laos's first runs ever; he thus had their first two RBI as well as their first extra-base hit. He went 0 for 4 the rest of the day, a 15-10 loss, and handled 12 chances error-free; he moved to 1B when Phouangkeo moved from pitcher to catcher. He then switched to the mound in the 4th, relieving Soua Xong (who moved to 1B) with a 5-4 deficit, one out and two on. He threw a wild pitch then gave up a sacrifice fly to Sandun Madushanka. He walked Sameera Rathnayake but got Iresh Kosala to hit into an inning-ending force. In the 5th, he allowed a double to Kasthuri Mudali Naween Anuradha, threw a wild pitch and walked Hena Kanakanamge Kasthuri Akala Ranasinghe and Nelanka Karunarathna Uduwaka Hewage. Sahan Avishka hit a bases-clearing triple, then he moved to first as Xong took a second turn on the hill.

He had allowed the most runs (11, one more than Phouangkeo), earned runs (9, one more than Phouangkeo) and walks (9, 6 more than Xong and Phouangkeo) in the first round of the Games; only Sanjeewa Jayarathne had a higher ERA.