Borba’s Bat Blasts Longhorns into Regional Final

Sophomore slugger Casey Borba delivered a performance for the ages on Sunday afternoon, smashing two home runs and driving in eight runs to power No. 1 seed Texas to a dominant 15-8 victory over No. 3 seed Kansas State. The win propels the Longhorns (44-13) into the Austin Regional final, where they’ll face No. 2 seed UTSA.

Borba’s incredible day at UFCU Disch-Falk Field began early, as he launched his first career grand slam in a six-run first inning for Texas. Not content, he followed up with a towering three-run shot just two innings later, showcasing the raw power that left him just two RBIs shy of Ron Gardenhire’s 1978 single-game school record of 10. He capped off his career-best outing with an RBI single in the sixth.

The Longhorns’ offensive explosion marked their highest run total in an NCAA Tournament game since a 19-8 triumph over Arkansas in 2005. Max Belyeu got the scoring started with a two-run blast before Borba’s heroics in the opening frame. While Kansas State (32-26) tried to rally with three runs in the bottom of the first, Borba’s third-inning blast effectively put the game out of reach.

On the mound, Texas starter Ruger Riojas (9-3) was a workhorse, tossing a career-long 7 1/3 innings and striking out six in a crucial 119-pitch effort that preserved the bullpen. Cody Howard closed out the final 1 2/3 frames. For the Wildcats, starting hurler Tanner Duke (2-3) lasted just one out, surrendering five runs on four hits before being pulled.