Former Okla. St. pitcher Borland, 1955 College World Series MVP, dies at 80

STILLWATER, Okla. – Tom Borland, the MVP of the 1955 College World Series who later briefly pitched for the Boston Red Sox, has died. He was 80.

Oklahoma State said Borland died during the weekend.

Borland was a left-handed pitcher at Oklahoma A&M, now known as Oklahoma State, during its College World Series appearances in 1954 and 1955. He went 19-2 with 271 strikeouts at the school. He was 11-0 in 1955, with 143 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings and a 2.13 ERA.

Oklahoma State coach Josh Holliday calls Borland “one of the greatest players in the rich history of the OSU program.”

He pitched 27 games with the Red Sox in 1960 and 1961, going 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA. On the day of his big-league debut, he pitched in both games of a doubleheader.