Anthony Rendon selected sixth overall by Washington Nationals in 2011 MLB draft
Four more Owls picked in Major League Baseball draft

FROM RICE ATHLETICS

Five Rice Owls were picked by the professional ranks in this week’s Major League Baseball amateur draft, with infielder Anthony Rendon selected as the sixth pick overall by the Washington Nationals June 6.

	TOMMY LAVERGNE
	Infielder Anthony Rendon was selected with the sixth pick overall by the Washington Nationals in the Major League Baseball amateur draft June 6.

Left-hand pitcher Tony Cingrani was selected in the third round by the Cincinnati Reds and was the 114th player taken overall. Right-hand pitcher Matthew Reckling was the 22nd-round pick by the Cleveland Indians (668th overall). It was the first time for both players to be drafted. Senior pitcher Abe Gonzales was selected in the 33rd round by the Kansas City Royals (the 996th pick overall). Junior outfielder Jeremy Rathjen, who was sidelined just 16 games into the 2011 season with an injury, was selected by the New York Yankees in the 41st round.

Rendon is the 18th Rice player to be taken in the first round of the MLB draft. The All-American and 2010 National Player of the Year is the first Owl to be selected in the first round since Bryan Price was a supplemental first-rounder in 2008. Rendon is the program’s highest pick since the pitching duo of Philip Humber and Jeff Niemann went back to back with the third and fourth overall picks, respectively, in 2004.

A national semifinalist for both the Howser Trophy (as the nation’s top collegiate player) and Golden Spikes Award (as nation’s top amateur), Rendon had another sensational year in 2011. The Houston native from nearby Lamar High School was recently named a second-team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. A first-team All-Conference USA honoree for the third time in as many years, the designated hitter/third baseman led the Owls in hitting (.3271), runs scored (58), slugging percentage (.523), walks (80), on-base percentage (.520) and steals (13). Not only did he share the team lead in home runs (6) and doubles (20), Rendon batted .374 with runners on base, .311 with runners in scoring position and .429 with the bases loaded. He hit .357 (10-of-28) in the Owls’ 2011 postseason run, including a .375 clip with three doubles and a homer in four C-USA tournament games to help Rice claim the championship title.

Under the daily practice regimen of Rice head coach Wayne Graham, Rendon vaulted from being a 27th round draft pick out of high school by the Atlanta Braves to the No. 6 pick overall by the end of his junior year. He also quickly ascended to the upper echelon of the Rice record books. In just three seasons Rendon moved to third in career home runs (52), fifth on the school’s all-time list for batting average (.371), sixth in both runs scored (201) and RBIs (194) and fourth in both total bases (463) and slugging (.679).

The Rice baseball team finished its 2011 season with a 42-21 record. The program posted its 17th-straight season of 40 or more wins and 17th-straight year to reach an NCAA Regional. The Owls were league champions for a 16th-straight year; they won both the 2011 Conference USA Tournament title and C-USA regular season co-championship.

Rice Baseball’s First-Round MLB Draft Picks

1967 — Ronald Henson (Cleveland Indians, June-secondary phase)

1976 — Mike Macha (Atlanta Braves, Jan.-secondary phase)

1981 — Matt Williams (Toronto Blue Jays, fifth pick overall)

1983 — David Hinnrichs (Philadelphia Phillies, June-secondary phase)

1984 — Norm Charlton (Montreal Expos, 28th pick overall)

1995 — Jose Cruz Jr. (Seattle Mariners; third pick overall)

1997 — Matt Anderson (Detroit Tigers; first pick overall);

Lance Berkman (Houston Astros; 16th pick overall)

1998 — Bubba Crosby (Los Angeles Dodgers; 23rd pick overall)

2001 — Kenny Baugh (Detroit Tigers; 11th pick overall);

Jon Skaggs (New York Yankees; 42nd pick overall)

2003 — David Aardsma (San Francisco Giants; 22nd pick overall)

2004 — Philip Humber (New York Mets; third pick overall);

Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay Devil Rays; fourth pick overall);

Wade Townsend (Baltimore Orioles; eighth pick overall)

2005 — Wade Townsend (Tampa Bay Devil Rays; eighth pick overall)

2007 — Joe Savery (Philadelphia Phillies; 19th pick overall)

2008 — Bryan Price (Boston Red Sox; 45th pick overall)

2011 — Anthony Rendon (Washington Nationals; sixth pick overall)