Sarisky Signs with Houston

Only days after being selected by the Houston Astros in the 40th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, Oglethorpe sophomore Daniel Sarisky has agreed to terms with the big league squad.

Details of the contract have yet to be released but, with his signing, Sarisky has forgone his amateur status and will now begin to pursue a big league career.
 
"This is a huge accomplishment for Daniel and the beginning of a new challenge," said Petrel head baseball coach Dan Giordano. "We are extremely excited for him and wish him the best as he pursues a career in professional baseball. He is fulfilling every boy's dream to play baseball for a living."
 
Set to begin his professional baseball career in the minors, Sarisky will try to become the tenth former Petrel baseball player to play for a Major League Baseball team. The most famous Petrel to play ball at the highest level was another sophomore who left the campus early to pursue a big league career, Hall of Famer Luke Appling. Appling was signed by the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 and went on to play twenty big league seasons for the Chicago White Sox, compiling a career .310 batting average. Appling was inducted to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
 
The other former Petrels to play Major League Baseball - with their last year on campus in parentheses - are Al Wingo (1918), Lucas Turk (1921), Ron Carlyle (1921), Dave Barbee (1926), Jay Partridge (1925), Greek George (1933), Harry Dean (1941) and Phil McCullough (1938).