A Dream Come True

Eddie Hacopian was a senior, and Chris Hacopian was a freshman when they overlapped at Winston Churchill High School during the 2019-20 school year. 

The brothers were supposed to play together on the diamond for the first time, but the baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hacopian family was robbed of the opportunity. Melissa Hacopian, the mother of the two boys, was heartbroken. 

Another parent expressed the possibility of the brothers playing baseball together in college. Derek Hacopian, the father of the boys, responded, "Well, that's not happening."

Chris was already committed to Wake Forest, and it was highly unlikely that Eddie would follow the same path. But now, the brothers are teammates starring for their hometown school at Maryland. Joining forces with the Terps was an afterthought since their journeys were drastically different, but their pedigree creates common ground.

"If you told me three, four years ago that I would be watching a game with these two guys playing at Maryland, that's a dream come true for us," Derek said.

Derek played one season for the Terps, producing the best single season in Maryland baseball history in 1992.

He was named ACC Player of the Year and an All-American after claiming the conference triple crown. He set the single-season program record for home runs (23), a record that stood for 30 years. He also finished with 83 RBIs and a .492 batting average, ranking second and third, respectively, in single-season program history to this day.

Derek never pushed his kids to follow in his footsteps. They created their history, and the process took its course.

"My wife and I will sit there, and we watch this like, ‘Oh my god, look at this’," Derek said. "Eddie is playing first base, and Chris is playing third. Chris is batting second, and Eddie is batting third. You couldn't dream up a cooler scenario for a family."

Maryland head coach Matt Swope shared a similar sentiment.

"It's such a rare thing. I think it's a cool thing just the way that it has all come together," Swope said. "There's nothing about those two individuals that are alike. ... But it's so cool to see the way they love each other and the way they support each other."

More Than a Feeling

Eddie Hacopian's journey to Maryland was met with setbacks, challenges, and often a lack of belief from others. But he never let what he couldn't control get to him. 

"I look at Eddie's journey, and I look at what he's done," his father said. "I think he's the coolest guy. He's like a rock star to me."

Eddie wasn't a highly touted prospect in high school. He wasn't physically imposing and took time to grow into his lengthy frame. He was 6-foot-2 and just 165 pounds when he took the junior college route, carefully picking a program with a history of sending players to the Division I level. He settled at Cypress Community College in California, a destination that was more than 2,500 miles away from home.

His first season at Cypress in 2021 was shortened due to the ongoing pandemic, and he missed the entire season due to injury. He was redshirted, and his opportunities dwindled as a result.

Eddie made his return the following season but wasn't granted a full-time starting role. He recorded just three hits through his first nine games.

"I was having a lot of trouble out there," Eddie said. "I wasn't playing much. It was just hard. I thought I could play but I knew I had to do more."

His father, Derek, decided to plan a weeklong trip to California to assess the situation, given his coaching background. His son didn't play in the first game he attended and was already thinking about the next step.

"What do you think about some D-II or D-III programs?" Derek asked. "We can look at some. I have some connections. I can talk to some people."

Eddie didn't want to hear it. The next day, he earned a start at second base and batted leadoff. It was a make-or-break opportunity, and Eddie delivered. He recorded his first three-hit game and drew a start in right field the following day.

He finished with three hits again and even smashed his first home run. He reminded his dad of the conversation they had earlier in the week.

"That tune has changed a little bit," Eddie said.

The confidence was warranted as Eddie went on a 24-game hitting streak and finished the season with First Team All-Orange Empire Conference honors. He met with his head coach during his breakout and was asked where he wanted to play next. However, he was limited to mid-major programs.

Eddie mentioned Coastal Carolina, and the next day, he was made an offer. Derek had to hold his son back from accepting the offer. He urged him to keep his options open.

Derek was very familiar with Swope, whom he had coached as the manager of Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.

The former Maryland star texted Swope, then an assistant with the Terps, a picture of his son's stats. Eddie was leading the conference with a batting average close to .450. He caught the attention of Swope as the Terps put together their most successful year in program history in 2022.

"He came a long way," Swope said. "He was undersized out of high school and was always a natural gamer and a baseball player but just was undersized and wasn't quite there at that time. Credit to him, he bet on himself and proved himself."

Eddie received and accepted a scholarship offer to the university and became the Terps' day-one starting first baseman in 2023. He even rocked his dad's No. 39 jersey to honor him. Eddie finished his sophomore season, starting all 63 games with a .328 average, 82 hits, 49 RBIs and eight home runs. He also earned a Big Ten Player of the Week honor.

Eddie's success has continued so far as a junior. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound first baseman is leading the team with a .373 batting average and 41 hits. He will never forget the feeling of everything coming to fruition.

"I always wanted to play here," he said. "I always thought I could play here, but I'm really going here. That was just an incredible feeling."

Forever In Faith 

Chris Hacopian's journey to play at Maryland with his brother was much different. He committed to Wake Forest as a freshman in high school after impressing head coach Tom Walter at a baseball camp. The high schooler was later named Gatorade Player of the Year and ranked as the No. 2 shortstop in the class of 2023, according to Perfect Game.

The slugger maintained a great relationship with the coaching staff for the next few years. But Chris began to second guess his decision when his brother Eddie began playing at Maryland.

The Terps opened the 2023 season in Tampa, Fla., for a series against USF. Chris was watching his brother play on ESPN when he sent his dad a text message.

"I'm not going to lie, it would be kind of cool to go to Maryland," the text read. "If I could, I would just go to Maryland."

Chris was attending P27 Baseball Academy at the time while training and rehabbing from injury. He took classes online, allowing him to attend many of Maryland's home games. Eddie and their mother, Melissa, were pushing for him to stay home.

His dad, Derek, wasn't a fan. Derek had an established relationship with Walter and the Wake Forest coaching staff. He thought his son should honor his commitment, but he let him make the final decision.

Chris gave Walter a call and admitted he was considering going to Maryland. The head coach told him he was making a mistake. Walter followed up the day Wake Forest earned the No. 1 ranking, but Chris had already made his decision. He flipped his commitment to Maryland in June 2023.

"I think Chris wanted to go to Wake [Forest], but Eddie wasn't here yet," Swope said. "I think whenever you're talking about someone that's blood and family, that's an opportunity that he felt like he couldn't pass up."

The highly touted prospect got out of his letter of intent and committed to Maryland. The freshman has already become one of the most physically imposing players in the Big Ten. Through 28 starts, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound third baseman boasts a slash line of .339/.471/.607 to go along with a team-leading seven home runs and 30 runs scored. He also has 38 hits and 25 RBIs. 

"It's crazy because it was never in the plans for us to play together at Maryland," Chris said. "Eddie and I are both big into faith and God, and it just kind of shows just how God has a plan for us."