Standing in his Detroit Tigers uniform, former Sun Devil Jeff Larish certainly looked the part of a Major League Baseball player. By playing in this year’s Arizona Fall League, Larish has taken an important step. He is well aware of the history and prestige that comes with playing in that league.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Larish said. “You hear the names of guys who have played here that have gone to the big leagues, and it’s very humbling.”

Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Todd Helton and Mike Piazza, and former Sun Devils Dustin Pedroia, Andre Ethier and Travis Buck, are some of the alumni of the two-month league that is played at various Valley spring training sites from October through November. The Arizona Fall League is widely considered to be the next step before getting the call to the big leagues. It’s a big opportunity for Larish, who was sent to Arizona after being named the Detroit Tigers’ Minor League Player of the Year for 2007. However, he knows today’s successes don’t guarantee future ones.

“I don’t worry too much about that stuff,” Larish said of the award. “I still have to come out here and compete. Just because I get an award, that doesn’t mean that things are going to go well for me in the future. I’m just looking to be consistent.”

Larish has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity so far, having been named to the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase Game Oct. 26. The four-year standout for head coach Pat Murphy’s Sun Devils from 2002-05 was thrilled to be thriving in front of his hometown fans.

“It’s great to be playing back home,” he said. “I’m trying to live in the present and enjoy each day. I’m happy just to be back in Arizona and playing in this league.”

Larish was selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft and immediately found success in the professional ranks.

Having just completed his third season in professional baseball, Larish had one of the best campaigns by any minor leaguer in the country in 2007. Playing for the Double-A Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves, Larish hit .267 with an Eastern League-leading 28 homers and 101 RBI. He helped lead Erie to the Southern Division championship and now looks forward to returning to Arizona State to pass on what he has learned to the next generation of Sun Devils.

“It’s very important to get back and give back to the program,” Larish pointed out. “It helped me out. We always had those older guys come back and give us advice because they had been through similar experiences. The relationships that you develop with the guys, that’s what I took away from ASU. There are quite a few guys I still keep in touch with. That’s my fondest memory, the relationships that I developed there.”