Missouri’s Nathan Culp might not have the name, but he sure brought the game Friday night against Kansas University’s baseball squad.

Though not as highly touted as teammate Max Scherzer – who could go as high as No. 1 overall in the 2006 MLB Draft – Culp showed he could be every bit as dominant in No. 29 Missouri’s 3-0 series-opening victory at Hoglund Ballpark.

“We’ve been lucky enough to beat him the last two years we’ve faced him, and tonight’s the best I’ve seen him,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said. “That’s the most sharp I’ve seen him with his fastball, and his command was really good.”

So good, in fact, that the senior faced the minimum over the first 72â3 innings. He finished with a complete-game effort, allowing just three hits while striking out five.

“He was mixing up his fastball in. That was really freezing some guys along with his off-speed away,” KU outfielder John Allman said. “He was really keeping some guys off-balance.”

KU’s only true threat came in the eighth. With two outs, Preston Land shot a single to center, and Allman followed with a line drive to left to bring the tying run to the plate.

Pinch hitter Matt Berner almost played the hero, driving a ball deep to center before Missouri’s Evan Frey tracked it down on the warning track.

Culp cruised in the ninth, striking out Ritchie Price and Jared Schweitzer to end it.

“It was a rough night,” Allman said, “at the plate for everyone.”

The lack of offensive production ruined what was an impressive showing for a pair of Kansas pitchers.

Sean Land bounced back after posting a 27.00 earned-run average in his two Big 12 Conference outings, allowing two runs over 52â3 innings. Both tallies were the result of Trevor Helms’ towering home run to left in the second.

“That definitely gives me a little more confidence,” Land said. “I had to have a good one pretty soon here because it was bad.”

Paul Smyth followed in relief, giving up a single run during the final 31â3 innings.

Allman went 2-for-3, recording the only hit for Kansas in the first seven innings. The sophomore led off the third with a single but later was erased on a double play.

Kansas (18-11, 2-5) will face an uphill battle this weekend to win its first Big 12 series. Scoring runs will become no easier today when the All-American Scherzer takes the mound for Missouri.

After missing the last three weeks because of a biceps injury, the sure-fire top-five pick will take a 3-1 record against Kansas’ Ricky Fairchild in the 2 p.m. matchup.

“The last time we saw him,” Ritch Price said, “he was really special.”

In 25 innings of work, the fireballer has struck out an impressive 31 batters.

“I think we’re a good fastball-hitting team,” Price said, “so we’ll find out (today).”