West Virginia left-handed starter Ben Hampton saved his team from total elimination in the Big 12 Baseball Championships after a five-game losing streak. Hampton had been the team’s top starting pitcher all season. Given extra rest before the final game of the Texas series, WVU hoped it would be a tune-up for the Big 12 Tournament. However, Hampton lasted just six batters in the game, working just one-third of an inning before the coach pulled him. The team was beaten in the opener of the double elimination tournament by Texas Tech but faced Oklahoma State next. Hampton was entrusted with the do-or-die elimination game, but he was coming off two consecutive losses and the debacle that was the Texas start.
this article from The Intelligencer, West Virginia University’s Ben Hampton stood out as a heroic figure in the team’s ill-fated week in Texas. The team suffered a five-game losing streak and was quickly eliminated from the Big 12 Baseball Championships in Arlington, but Hampton’s performance gave the team a chance to stay alive in the tournament when it appeared that matters were fast slipping away.
Hampton had been WVU’s No. 1 starting pitcher all season, starting the Friday game in a weekend series. He had built a 5-1 record through May 12 when he lost a tough 5-2 decision to Texas Tech, following that up with perhaps the most important start he’d ever made as a college pitcher.
Given extra rest as coach Randy Mazey held him until the final game of the Texas series, in hopes of it being a tune-up for the Big 12 Tournament rather than a game to keep WVU from being swept by the Longhorns to fall into a three-way tie for the regular season championship, Hampton just wasn’t himself. He lasted just six batters, working just one-third of an inning before Mazey pulled him in what would be a four-run first inning for Texas, allowing them to cruise to the victory.
Mazey decided to gamble with freshman David Manahan in the opening game of the Big 12 Tournament and hold Hampton back, but WVU was beaten in the opener of the double elimination tournament by Texas Tech. Oklahoma State was next, and Hampton was entrusted with one of those do-or-die elimination games. However, he was coming into the game off two consecutive losses and the debacle that was the Texas start.
No one who has been there can know how difficult it is to be in that situation. Looking for a real-life comparable, perhaps you are a salesman and just lost your biggest account and now are handed a chance to pick up the pieces and save the month. The pressure is immense, and the situation is dire.
Hampton stared disaster in the face while on the road and found a way to fight through it, giving West Virginia a chance to stay alive in the tournament. He pitched six innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight batters, leading the team to a 4-1 victory over Oklahoma State.
Hampton’s performance was a testament to his character and determination. Despite the team’s losing streak and his own recent struggles, he stepped up when it mattered most and delivered a performance that kept the team’s hopes alive.
In the end, WVU’s season came to an end with a 5-3 loss to TCU in the Big 12 Tournament, but Hampton’s performance will be remembered as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing week. His resilience and grit in the face of adversity are qualities that will serve him well in his future endeavors, both on and off the field.
