Anthony Rendon to miss remainder of United States Collegiate National Team summer season

FROM RICE ATHLETICS

Just three days after being named one of 22 members to this year’s U.S. National Team, Rice’s Anthony Rendon has been sidelined for the remainder of Team USA’s summer season. Rendon, the 2010 Howser Trophy Winner and national player of the year, suffered an ankle injury in Wednesday night’s U.S. Collegiate National Team game against South Korea in Cary, N.C.

	ANTHONY RENDON

The injury occurred in the bottom of the first inning in a rundown play between first and second base. He was immediately treated on-field by USA Baseball team doctors and was taken to the hospital for X-rays and further treatment.

“The care and safety of the players and student-athletes is always foremost,” said Rice Head Coach Wayne Graham. “We’ll use every resource we have to ensure that Anthony is returned to full health. In my opinion (Rice’s co-team physician) Dr. Thomas Clanton is one of the best orthopedists in the country, and we’re thankful he and the Rice doctors are going to see to Anthony’s care.”

Rendon was officially named to the Team USA roster July 11. He was one of five infielders on the 2010 United States National Team. The squad also consists of four outfielders, two catchers, nine pitchers and a pair of two-way players. Team USA was selected from a pool of 36 non-draft-eligible college players after seven days at a national tryout camp. The trials included six intra-squad games and practices held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary.

In Rendon’s standout collegiate season of 2010, he helped lead the Rice baseball program to its 16th-straight NCAA tournament appearance, 16th-consecutive season with 40 or more wins, and 15th-straight conference championship. He batted .394 while leading Conference USA with 26 home runs, and he was among the nation’s leaders in runs scored (83), walks (65) and RBIs (85). The former Lamar High School star also maintained an .801 slugging percentage, a .530 on-base percentage and finished with more home runs than strikeouts (22). Defensively, he had a .973 fielding percentage at third base and started a total of 16 double-plays for the blue and gray.

His accolades from 2010 include the Howser Trophy Award, Baseball America Player of the Year, first team All-America from a host of media organizations, C-USA Male Athlete of the Year, the conference Baseball Player of the Year (for the second-straight year and just the second player in league history to earn that honor in back-to-back seasons), first team all-conference, selection to the C-USA All-Tournament team and Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Austin regional.