Kansas baseball: Luke Leto hits must-see 472-foot bomb vs. Texas Tech

Kansas baseball suffered a gut-wrenching loss at the hands of Texas Tech yesterday, but there was no shortage of highlight reel plays.

The Kansas Jayhawks clinched their spot in the Big 12 Tournament for the first time since 2019 days ago. They are now looking to gain momentum heading into the tourney as they conclude the regular season with a three-game set vs. Texas Tech.

After taking Game 1 against the Red Raiders — ranked No. 28 in the country — Kansas lost in walk-off fashion in the 10th inning of Friday’s contest. Although the loss stings, Dan Fitzgerald’s squad showed perseverance throughout the entire game.

While the Jayhawks were trailing 4-1 in the 4th inning, sophomore Luke Leto came to bat with a runner on first. Pitcher Trendan Parish sent him a meatball directly down the plate, and Leto squared it up perfectly.

Leto sent that ball from Lubbock to Dallas. ESPN technology determined that the home run traveled 472 feet with a 103 miles-per-hour exit velocity and 29° launch angle.

For reference, Leto’s blast would have been the seventh-longest home run in the MLB this season. Although NCAA players are allowed to use composite and alloy bats, that does not diminish the incredible hit that Leto sent out of the park. It was the longest dinger the Jayhawks had hit this season, and one of the deepest big flies hit in all of D-I.

RELATED: Kansas concludes regular season with three-game set at Texas Tech

When skipper Dan Fitzgerald signed a contract to become Kansas baseball’s new head coach, Leto joined him as a transfer. He had spent one season at LSU, appearing in 13 games. Coming into the game, he had hit six home runs and combined for a .771 OPS.

Though Kansas did not come out of the battle victorious, they can still win the series during this afternoon’s rubber match at 2:00 PM CT.

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