Kansas University baseball senior Ryan Baty vowed the Jayhawks would respond with a valiant effort Saturday following their 10-run loss to Texas A&M on Friday night.

Baty delivered on his promise of a better showing by Kansas, but it still wasn’t enough to bring home a victory because A&M starter Zach Jackson was absolutely brilliant on the mound. Jackson fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout and led the No. 15-ranked Aggies to a 4-0 victory at Hoglund Ballpark. It was the first time Kansas had been held scoreless this season.

The Aggies and Jayhawks will conclude their three-game series with a 1 p.m. game today.

The Jayhawks couldn’t say enough good things about Jackson’s gem. The 6-foot-5 junior left-hander struck out nine and didn’t allow a hit in the final six innings.

“I’m pleased with the effort from the fellas on this team, but I’m just not pleased with the result,” said Baty, who played on the same summer league team with Jackson in Cape Cod. “We hooked it up tonight against a first-rounder, and he’s the best I’ve seen in the four years that I’ve been here.”

KU coach Ritch Price offered similar praise.

“In the 10 years I’ve been at the Division One level, that’s as good as anybody’s ever pitched against one of my teams,” Price said. “If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a major-leaguer, there’s no doubt about it.”

Jackson’s effort almost wasn’t good enough, however, because Kansas received a season-best performance from senior pitcher Chris Smart.

It was a scoreless ballgame through the first four innings. Smart allowed just one hit up to that point, while Jackson allowed both of his.

“Their pitchers did a pretty good job,” A&M coach Mark Johnson said. “Their first pitcher (Smart) … he threw the split well and threw our timing off. We had a lot of pop-ups, and we were out in front, but finally we broke through.”

Kansas University's Ritchie Price, left, tries to tag Texas A&M's Justin Ruggiano in the Jayhawks' 4-0 loss to the Aggies. KU managed just two hits in the setback Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Aggies (29-8 overall, 6-5 Big 12 Conference) scored in the top of the fifth. Justin Ruggiano was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on Coby Mavroulis’ single to right. Craig Stinson’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners.

A&M scored on a controversial play when John Infante was credited with an infield single after Smart’s throw apparently pulled first baseman Ryan Baty off the bag. The force out would have ended the inning, but instead allowed Ruggiano to score for a 1-0 Aggie lead.

Ruggiano was hit by another pitch with two outs in the sixth. Mavroulis followed with a run-scoring double off the right-field wall. Then Stinson singled to right, scoring Mavroulis for a 3-0 lead.

Smart lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed just five hits. Don Czyz and Clint Schambach came on in relief for the Jayhawks (23-16-1, 1-7) and kept the game close.

The Aggies scored once more when Andrew Baldwin crossed the plate on Erik Schindewolf’s double to right in the ninth. That was plenty of offense to support Jackson.

“We came out with energy tonight, and we were ready to go,” Baty said. “Pitching wins, and good pitching always beats good hitting. He was the best I’ve seen. But you’ve got to tip your hat and get back after them tomorrow.”