Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball Great Tom Borland Passes Away
March 06, 2013 | Cowboy Baseball
March 6, 2013
STILLWATER, Okla. – Former Oklahoma A&M baseball star Tom Borland passed away last weekend at the age of 80.
A native of McAlester, Okla., Borland was a left-handed pitcher for the Aggies from 1953-1955. He was the second baseball All-American in Oklahoma State history and was inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. He helped lead the Aggies to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1954 and 1955 and was named the CWS Most Valuable Player in 1955.
“Oklahoma State baseball extends our condolences to Mr. Borland's family,” said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. “Tom was one of the greatest players in the rich history of the OSU program, and we will continue to celebrate his career and contributions to OSU. He will forever be a source of pride within our program.”
During his three seasons in Stillwater, Borland compiled a 19-2 record, and his 271 strikeouts rank fifth on OSU's all-time list. In 1954, he was 8-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched, and he topped those numbers the next season when he tossed 10 complete games and went 11-0 with a 2.13 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings.
Borland signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1955 and pitched in 27 games over two major league seasons (1960-61). After retiring from pro baseball, he returned to Stillwater and started Pioneer Tire Center.
A memorial service for Borland will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater. He is survived by his wife, Eileen, four children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
