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The epitome of a championship student-athlete, Mike Larson was a two-way standout on the diamond at California from 2002-05. He was the PSAC West Athlete of the Year as a junior while helping the Vulcans capture their first PSAC Championship in 25 years. Also in 2004, Larson was voted the PSAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was selected an Academic All-American, becoming the first player in program history to receive either honor. The following season, the Saskatchewan native became the first and only male in league history to repeat as the PSAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was again tabbed an Academic All-American. Larson closed his career with a .375 average after collecting 191 hits and finished with a 12-6 record in three seasons on the mound.
As a freshman, he made an immediate impact as a pitcher by posting a 5-1 record in nine appearances for a team that finished first in the PSAC West standings behind a former program-record 16 divisional victories. Larson posted a breakout campaign at the plate in 2003, earning All-PSAC West First-Team status as an outfielder behind a .366 average, 26 RBI, 33 runs scored and a team-leading 18 stolen bases. As a junior, he was instrumental in a historic season for the Vulcans, as they tied the then-program record with 32 overall wins and captured the team’s first PSAC Championship since 1979. Larson repeated as an All-PSAC West First-Team outfielder and received All-PSAC West Second-Team honors as a starting pitcher. He led the team with a career-high .401 average behind 77 hits, the second-most in single-season school history, and finished with seven homers, 44 RBI and 39 runs scored. On the mound, Larson paced the team with a career-best 2.55 ERA over nearly 50 innings while posting a 4-3 record with five complete games. Cal placed second in the PSAC West standings before rolling to a 3-0 record in the PSAC Tournament, including an 18-12 victory over Kutztown in the championship. Larson went a combined 9-for-15 at the plate with four RBI and four runs scored in the tournament held in State College. As a senior, he led the team with 62 hits, eight homers, 49 RBI and 43 runs scored while earning All-PSAC West honors as an outfielder for the third-straight year. Larson helped the Vulcans record back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history, as the team tied for first in the PSAC West standings and finished 30-20 overall.
Larson earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2005 and graduated summa cum laude. He is the third two-way baseball standout selected to the Athletic Hall of Fame and becomes the seventh baseball player in the last decade chosen to the Athletic Hall of Fame (five modern-era).
updated April 20, 2024
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