ASU baseball pitchers Cooper Benson, Boyd Vander Kooi undergoing Tommy John surgery

Cooper Benson and Boyd Vander Kooi, two of Arizona State baseball's starting pitchers, will undergo season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery.

ASU coach Tracy Smith made the announcement Thursday, saying the injuries are believed to be more due to long-term wear and tear than anything that happened this season.

Benson, a redshirt freshman, pitched six innings in the season opener Feb. 19 then exited after one inning against Hawaii on Feb. 26.

Vander Kooi, a redshirt junior, threw 2/3 of an inning of relief on Feb. 21.

Both are expected to return next season. "I'm going to come back and compete for a national championship once again," said Vander Kooi, a 6-5 right-hander who also is helping with…