At just 19 years old, Chase Mora is making waves at Texas State University in San Marcos. Mora made an unforgettable impact in his freshman season, particularly with his prodigious home run hitting.
In his first three at-bats, Mora belted three consecutive home runs, driving in an impressive eight runs. This extraordinary feat earned him the prestigious Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, a well-deserved recognition. On March 11, he resurfaced with another remarkable display against North Dakota State. During this unforgettable game, he hammered an astonishing four home runs, going 4-for-5 with 9 RBIs and scoring four runs. His outstanding performance once again earned him the title of Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week.
Mora’s dedication and promising performance during his freshman year suggest a bright future in baseball. It is worth keeping a close eye on the Tomball native as he continues to make his mark in the sport.
We talked with Mora about baseball, injuries, adversity, and what comes next in his skyrocketing baseball career.
This was a successful season for you—you don't get the Perfect Game Freshman All-American award without it being successful—but what were your goals coming into the year, and how do you feel like you met them?
My goal for my freshman year was always to get All-American. I would have loved to be First Team Freshman All-American, but I am proud to have received the Second Team All-American honor. Overall, my freshman year has been a huge success –I did everything I could to put myself in the best possible position by going out every day, working hard, and trying to get one percent better each day.
How about the progress you had as a pitcher? Are there any pitches you are trying to develop?
Last June, I had Tommy John surgery and have just now been released from my doctor to start throwing as part of the pitching program. I look forward to returning to the mound in the fall to help support my team in any way needed. I will still play middle infield and remain in the lineup and hope to either be the weekday starter or come in as relief during games to help out on the mound.
What is the most important advice you got from a player, coach, or teammate that gave you the right mindset to be a good college player?
From an early age, my Dad always taught me to let stuff go and stay in the present moment. That advice helped me going into college, because I knew I would face a lot of adversity. I know there are going to be a lot of bad days.
Sometimes there are more bad days in a week than good ones, so moving on and not focusing on that last at-bat has helped me improve my game. When I arrived on campus in the fall, as a team, we met with Brian Cain, and he also helped us understand the mental part of the game.
Baseball is challenging in terms of dealing with failure and having the right mindset. As you have moved on in your career, do you better understand that there's a lot of adversity in baseball?
That's it in a nutshell – baseball is a game of adversity. Players are going to fail more times than they succeed. During a game we had at Texas A&M in College Station, I had what everyone was referring to as a "Freshman Game." I was 0-5 at the plate with four strikeouts. Grounded into a double play and made three errors – all in this one game. And I had a lot of family members and friends there to finally get to watch me play college baseball.
And as much as that would weigh on most people, the next day, we got on the bus to travel to our next series in Alabama, and the first thing that Coach Trout asked me was, "What happened last night," and I said, "Coach, I don't know."
That wasn't me avoiding the question – I was moving past it and on to the next game. I can't go back and change what happened; I can only change what I do in the next game or practice. In that following series at South Alabama, I hit a home run that broke the home run record for a freshman at Texas State University.
Tell us a little bit about your upbringing and growing up in Tomball. What pushed you into baseball, and who were some of your key mentors?
Growing up in Tomball was fun. My parents and even my grandmothers went to Tomball High School, so I was always surrounded by a lot of family and friends. I started playing baseball when I was four years old and have always loved the game. My parents always tried to ensure I was constantly being challenged because Tomball is very competitive in baseball. I always played on teams with kids older than me, and it wasn't until I was around 13 that I finally played with kids my age.
After bouncing around to several teams, I finally found my home at Hunter Pence Baseball during high school. Hunter Pence Baseball (HP) and my coaches, Aaron Cunningham and Sean Danielson, were where I learned what it would take to play at the next level. Aaron and Sean prepared me to play in college and were instrumental in my recruitment. They put the team in the best tournaments in the nation and put us in front of college and professional scouts. Without them, I would not have received all the offers and ultimately played on the field as a freshman for the Texas State University baseball team.
What are your goals moving forward?
I want to step up in the leadership role and lead by example for my team. We lost a lot of key seniors this year. I would also like to be named First Team All-American, First Team Sun Belt Conference, and make it to Omaha with my team for a national championship. I would like to get into the Cape Cod Baseball League next summer and put myself in the best position to be drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft.
"Overall, my freshman year has been a huge success –I did everything I could to put myself in the best possible position by going out every day, working hard, and trying to get one percent better each day." – Chase Mora