Chase Mora has become Texas State’s all-time home run leader, surpassing Goldschmidt, who currently plays for the New York Yankees.
SAN MARCOS, Texas — When the ball left the bat, Chase Mora knew it had a chance.
The Texas State University senior watched as home run No. 37 sailed out of the park — a swing that officially made him the program’s all-time home run leader, surpassing former Bobcat and current MLB star Paul Goldschmidt.
“It’s something you dream of,” Mora said. “I think ever since my freshman year, I knew I was kind of on pace to have a chance at it, and the closer I got, the more it kind of weighed on my shoulders.”
The record-breaking hit capped a pursuit years in the making, but Mora said the moment brought more relief than pressure.
“When I hit that one it was like getting that monkey off my shoulder and it just allows me to go play free,” he said.
For Mora, breaking the record carried extra meaning because of whose name he passed.
“Obviously any time you pass something that Paul Goldschmidt set is a pretty cool accomplishment,” Mora said.
Texas State head baseball coach Steven Trout said the program believed the milestone was possible long before the season started, though the focus inside the clubhouse remained on winning games.
“We obviously anticipated it, knew it was going to happen,” Trout said. “But once we got in the game, nobody was thinking about breaking the record.”
When Mora finally hit the home run, Trout admitted he didn’t feel the significance of the moment right away.
“The one that broke it, we were down 6 to 1 at the time,” Trout said. “So honestly I was more fired up that we were ready to get back in this baseball game and then I realized, ‘Oh, that was it.’”
Not long after, Mora received congratulations from Goldschmidt himself in a video message shown during a ceremony at Bobcat Ballpark.
“Just wanted to send a big congratulations on breaking the Texas State record for career home runs,” Goldschmidt said in the video. “Very proud of you and look forward to many more.”
The path to becoming Texas State’s home run king was not always smooth.
Mora recalled one difficult game during his freshman season against Texas A&M when everything seemed to go wrong.
“I went 0 for 5,” Mora said. “Four strikeouts, grounded into a double play and committed three errors.”
Mora said learning to move on from failure became one of the most important lessons of his college career.
“It’s all about staying in the present moment and just keep attacking every day,” he said.
Trout said that mentality is part of what stood out during Mora’s recruitment. Originally recruited as a two-way player coming off Tommy John surgery, Mora quickly proved he was more than just a pitcher.
“You just knew kind of watching him, the guy was a gamer,” Trout said. “He was a winner.”
Despite the record, Mora insists the accomplishment is about more than statistics.
As he rounded the bases after the historic home run, he said his thoughts immediately went to his family.
“I had a lot of family here actually, so just for them to be here and share that moment with them meant everything to me,” Mora said.
He specifically credited his parents and grandfather for helping shape both the player and person he has become.
“My mom, she’s done everything she ever could to allow me to play this sport,” Mora said. “My dad, ever since I was little, kind of instilled it in me — you can go as far as you want in this game. It just depends on how hard you work.”
He said his grandfather taught him the value of discipline and work ethic at an early age.
Even with his name now at the top of the Texas State record book, Mora said he hopes the mark doesn’t stand forever.
“I hope somebody eventually breaks it,” Mora said, “Because that means this place is headed in the right direction.”
For now, Mora says his focus remains on helping the Bobcats chase something bigger than records — a championship run and a trip to the postseason.