Cooper Hjerpe Out For Game 1; Jake Pfennigs Gets The Start

Oregon State baseball fans got some bad news Saturday evening, as Beaver ace Cooper Hjerpe will not be starting in the first game of the Corvallis Super Regional. Instead, Jake Pfennigs will get the start as Oregon State takes on the Auburn Tigers.

Hjerpe saw action Monday afternoon, coming in to close out the Beavers victory over Vanderbilt. He was expected to be ready to go for Saturday’s game, but the team announced in the past hour that he would not be available tonight, as he is dealing with an undisclosed illness.

Pfennigs has been a solid performer for the Beavers this season, making 10 starts with a 4-0 record and a 2.94 ERA. Still, he’s not Hjerpe, and the Beavers could struggle to reach Omaha if they Hjerpe is unable to pitch on Sunday or Monday. Jacob Kmatz will probably get the nod tomorrow if Hjerpe is still unhealthy, with Jaren Hunter in line for a potential Monday start.

Game 1 between Oregon State and Auburn is set to start in just about an hour, at 7:00 PM PT.