Jimmy Benson’s Perfect Game Earns St. Laurence Regional Victory

Jimmy Benson, a student from St. Laurence, began playing golf nearly 18 months ago. He wanted to challenge his growing skills last fall by joining the high school team. At 6-foot-8, Benson stands out on the golf course, yet the game does not come as naturally to him as baseball does. Known for his pitching abilities, the junior left-hander commented, “I’m not very good at golf. But I just like being competitive.”

When pitching, Benson’s aim is clear. “My goal every time out is to throw up a zero,” he expressed. “I don’t think about anything else. I just try my best not to let anybody on base because I know how dangerous we are when we get guys on.”

On Saturday, Benson met this goal perfectly. He pitched a flawless game, striking out five opponents in a 5-0 triumph over Oak Lawn during the Class 4A St. Laurence Regional final held in Burbank. His future looks bright as he’s committed to TCU.

In this game, junior catcher Tristan Steger contributed with a two-run double. The top-seeded Vikings, with a record of 35-2, are set to face Mount Carmel, seeded fourth (27-10) at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a Brother Rice Sectional semifinal. Senior infielder Mickey Lotus delivered an RBI bunt single and stole home for the first run. Lotus also made two crucial defensive plays in the seventh inning to maintain the perfect game.

Junior starter Hamza Abdelfattah and senior reliever Eli Kulpinski collected four strikeouts and relinquished only one hit for Oak Lawn (26-11) before the Vikings surged with a four-run sixth inning.

Benson improved his season record to 7-1, marking his second career no-hitter. He had previously led the Vikings in a 9-0 win over Mount Carmel on May 10, 2025. Against Oak Lawn, he threw 58 strikes from 84 pitches.

St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus praised Benson, saying, “When he’s throwing strikes, he’s very good and talented. He’s perfect when he’s pounding the zone and keeping hitters off-balance.” He acknowledged Benson’s potential from the start. Off the field, Benson is easygoing, but he transforms into an intense competitor on the field.

Before the game even started, Steger noticed Benson was in prime form. “There’s always that level of confidence behind the plate whenever Jimmy’s on the mound,” Steger noted. “I know when we start playing catch, it’s going to be a tough day for the opposing team.”

Benson consistently focused on his game. After only reaching three balls in the count once, he remarked, “Most teams, when it’s my first time playing them, they don’t like fastballs with all the movement. My fastball goes both ways in different movements. That’s hard to hit the first time.”

Having played basketball in his younger days, Benson realized his future was in baseball due to his height and left-handed throwing ability.

“I’ve been big since I was little,” he recounted. “Recently, I saw a video where I was a foot taller than everyone else at 9-years-old. By 12 or 13, I realized how good I could be. I wasn’t throwing very hard then, but I was still getting everybody out throwing 80 mph.”

Benson, who finished 11-1 the previous year leading St. Laurence to the Class 3A state championship, expressed satisfaction after finally pitching a perfect game for the Vikings. “I was close a few times, but I only got to the fifth inning,” he mentioned. “The most important thing (Saturday) is we won. That’s the goal every time — that we keep going and keep moving.”