Dirtbags Drop Opener to San Jose State as Bohl Annex Pitching Lab Unveiled

Friday, February 13

Long Beach, Calif.

6:05 p.m.

Long Beach State University

0-1

San José State

1-0

San Jose State

Long Beach State

Dirtbags Drop Opener to San Jose State as Bohl Annex Pitching Lab Unveiled

2/13/2026 11:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Gerfers strikes out five in first career start; Long Beach State staff records 10 punchouts while Enright’s double highlights late threat

By: Cianna Smith-Andrews, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

Long Beach, Calif. -- Long Beach State opened the 2026 season Friday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field, falling 8-0 to San Jose State while showing early promise on the mound and debuting a major addition to the program prior to first pitch.

Before the game, Long Beach State Athletics officially unveiled the new Bohl Annex Pitching Lab, made possible through the generosity and giving of Marilyn Bohl. The upgraded space provides the Dirtbags with a modern training and development environment and was introduced during a pregame ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Freshman right-hander Jason Gerfers made his first career Opening Day start and worked 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out five. San Jose State struck in the first when Alex Fernandes singled, moved to second on a throwing error during a pickoff attempt, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Vincent Gamberdella's RBI single for a 1-0 lead.

Gerfers navigated traffic in the second and third innings, stranding runners and recording key strikeouts to keep the deficit at one. In the fourth, the Spartans loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch before a sacrifice fly to center doubled the lead to 2-0. San Jose State added another run in the fifth on a solo home run to left, ending Gerfers' outing with the Dirtbags trailing 3-0.

Van Larson entered in relief and provided 2.1 innings, striking out one. The Spartans extended the margin in the sixth with a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0. In the seventh, a leadoff walk set the table before Anthony Scheppler doubled to right to score a run, and Fernandes followed with an RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 6-0.

Caleb Anderson added 1.1 innings with two strikeouts, but San Jose State continued to add on. In the eighth, Jake McCoy singled and came around to score on Gamberdella's double to deep center. The Spartans tacked on another in the ninth on Gamberdella's second RBI double of the night, extending the advantage to 8-0. Mason Tymick closed the game with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth as the Long Beach State staff totaled 10 strikeouts.

Offensively, the Dirtbags showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks and putting pressure on the bases. Camden Gasser reached twice with two walks and stole second in the third. Trevor Goldenetz added a bunt single in the seventh, drew a walk in the fourth and swiped a base. Long Beach State mounted its best threat in the eighth when Jake Evans was hit by a pitch and Trotter Enright doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third with one out. A flyout to left and a groundout to the right side ended the rally.

The Dirtbags finished with two hits and seven baserunners in the season opener. The series continues Saturday night at Blair Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.