Manhattan ? Kansas University freshman starter Wes Benjamin knew it was a big game even before KU trainer Ken Wainwright approached him right before first pitch against Kansas State.
“This is do-or-die right now,” Wainwright told him, “so I hope you like pressure.”
Evidently, Benjamin does.
The freshman left-hander pitched KU’s first complete-game shutout since 2009, dominating Kansas State in a 6-0 victory Saturday night at Tointon Family Stadium.
“We definitely needed this one today,” Benjamin said. “I think tomorrow we’re going to go out there … we have the momentum, and I think it’s going to turn out well for us.”
The outcome splits the series at one game apiece heading into today’s 6:30 p.m. finale, which will be televised on Fox College Sports.
The victory also guarantees that the Jayhawks, at worst, will be in eighth place heading into the conference’s final weekend. The top eight teams in the Big 12 qualify for the conference tournament.
Benjamin picked a good time for his best game, when he tied a career-high with eight strikeouts while walking just one.
“I was hitting spots inside and outside, which I need to do,” Benjamin said. “I was able to set up breaking pitches and getting kill pitches toward the end.”
Benjamin actually became stronger as the game progressed.
Kansas State had at least one runner on in each of the first six innings, though Benjamin was able to work around trouble to keep the Wildcats scoreless.
The St. Charles, Ill., native then retired all nine hitters he faced in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, with eight of those nine outs coming on strikeouts or groundballs.
“I thought he did a really good job of commanding his fastball down in the zone. That’s the key,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “They’re a really good fastball-hitting team, and you’ve got to get the ball down, and you’ve got to locate and use both sides of the plate.”
KU gave Benjamin run support early with some help from the bottom of the lineup.
With one out in the top of the second, eight-hole hitter Dakota Smith singled to right, and Ka’aina Eldredge snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a single to center to put runners at first and third.
Following a strikeout, Eldredge stole second base to put a pair of runners into scoring position for Kevin Kuntz, who delivered in the high-leverage situation.
The junior shortstop chopped a 2-2 pitch over the mound and into centerfield for a two-RBI single, giving KU its first two runs of the series.
“We saw that they were pitching us away yesterday, and we knew they were going to go back to that,” Smith said. “So we really wanted to work on going up the middle and to the right side. We did a pretty good job today of it.”
The Jayhawks tacked on single runs in the seventh and eighth innings and two more in the ninth. After getting shut out in a 2-0 loss Friday, the Jayhawks responded with nine hits Saturday, which included three doubles.
“We finally started lighting some guys up like we need to do,” Smith said. “It’s a good confidence-booster overall. Hopefully, we’ll do it again tomorrow.”
Smith led KU’s bats, going 2-for-3 with a double, walk, RBI, stolen base and two runs scored. Tucker Tharp added two hits and two RBIs.
The Wildcats (23-28, 4-16 Big 12) mustered just six hits and have yet to record an extra-base hit in the series.
KU (20-30, 5-14) will pitch junior right-hander Thomas Taylor in Game Three.