CORVALLIS — The Oregon State Beavers’ chances in the Corvallis Super Regional were dealt a sobering setback Saturday, when ace Cooper Hjerpe was ruled out of the opener with an undisclosed illness.
It’s unclear if the 6-foot-3 left-hander will be sidelined just one game or the entire three-game series.
Either way, it’s a major blow to the Beavers. Hjerpe is perhaps the best pitcher in college baseball and his dominant play has been integral to Oregon State’s success all season. A finalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy — honors that go to college baseball’s best players — Hjerpe is 10-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 155 strikeouts, most in the nation and five shy of breaking the Beavers’ single-season record.
Hjerpe, who has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 16 starts this season, not only pitched well in OSU’s victory in the opener of the Corvallis Regional last week, but also earned a dramatic save in the finale, striking out five over the final two innings of a 7-5 win against Vanderbilt. It was his first save — and his first relief appearance — of the season and came on just two days of rest.
This will be the first start he has missed all season.
Veteran right-hander Jake Pfennigs (4-0, 2.94 ERA), who was scheduled to start Sunday in Game 2 of the best-of-three series, will take Hjerpe’s place on the mound tonight. Pfennigs earned a win last week in the regionals, allowing six hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings against San Diego.
But tonight’s challenge will be far greater. The Tigers breezed through the Auburn Regional with a three-game sweep, outscoring opponents 51-18.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.