May 31, 2008
SEATTLE, Wash. - Jeff Larish, who started at designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers in Seattle last night, became the 89th Sun Devil to play Major League Baseball.
Larish joins Dustin Pedroia (Boston Red Sox), Paul Lo Duca (Washington Nationals), Travis Buck (Oakland A's), Ian Kinsler (Texas Rangers), Willie Bloomquist (Seattle Mariners), Dennis Sarfate (Baltimore Orioles) and Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers) as former Arizona State University student-athletes who have played in the Majors this season.
In his first Major League at-bat Friday night against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, Larish reached on a run-scoring fielder's choice and eventually scored. He was called up from AAA Toledo on Wednesday after batting .277 (53-for-191) with 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 53 games for the Mud Hens. Larish was named Detroit's Minor League Player of the Year in 2007 after leading the Eastern League (AA) with 28 home runs and 101 RBI for the Erie SeaWolves.
Larish, a 5th-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers, finished his senior season hitting .324 (81-for-250) with 18 doubles, 23 home runs and 67 RBI. His 23 homers tied for fourth in the NCAA and were third best in ASU single-season history. He tied a College World Series record with three home runs in an extra-inning 8-7 win over Nebraska. Larish ended his career ranked second in school history in home runs (51), second in walks (200), second in total bases (505), third in runs scored (229), fourth in RBI (235), fourth in at-bats (849), sixth in hits (283) and seventh in doubles (57).