New kid on the block

By Meghan Hall     4/9/09 7:00pm

Anthony Rendon has been an unyielding force in the Rice lineup this season. He has started all 30 games, often batting clean-up in the lineup. He has played a solid third base, filling the wide gap left by junior Diego Seastrunk, who moved to catcher after Adam Zornes (Baker '08) was drafted last June. He leads the Owls in seven statistical categories, and he ranks second in four more. The freshman arrived on the scene this season as a fresh, local product of Lamar High School, singled in his first career at-bat in Rice's opening win against California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and has not looked back since.

Before South Main

The atypical talent of this fantastic freshman is not an anomaly. It actually started much farther back: Rendon first picked up a baseball when he was three. He started organized baseball at the age of five before playing for Lamar High School and the Houston Heat, a select travel team in the area.

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The list of honors Rendon garnered while a shortstop at Lamar is almost endless, no doubt due to his stellar statistics: In Rendon's final high school season, he hit .570 with eight home runs and 56 RBI's. He was named to the 2008 All-Greater Houston Area Preseason High School Team, was a 2008 All-State 5A first team selection at shortstop and was a member of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches' Association All-Star game. As if those were not enough, the Houston Chronicle named him the co-MVP of District 20-5A. The other player who shared that title? Rendon's current teammate Taylor Wall, a product of Westside High School.

When Rendon wasn't playing for the Redskins during his high school years, he spent his time with the Heat, a travelling team whose membership is invite-only.

"I got to face a lot of good players across the nation," Rendon said. "I got to see the cream of the crop, like first-rounders from last year's draft."

Currently, the under-18 team of the Heat is ranked fifth in the country. They also boast an impressive list of alumni who are currently in the majors, including Scott Kazmir, Jay Bruce and Homer Bailey. In addition, eight current Rice teammates and former Rice star and current Phillies farmhand Joe Savery were all at one time members of the Houston Heat.

At the same time he was playing for the Redskins and the Heat, Rendon was going through the college recruiting process. As one of the elite players in the Houston area and nationally, Rendon garnered plenty of attention.

"There were a lot of phone calls, lot of talking with coaches," he said.

Other schools besides Rice were interested in the shortstop, including Louisiana State University and Sam Houston State University, but according to the 18-year-old, his biggest focus was finding the school that represented the best fit for him.

"My next big school [to visit after Rice] was the University of Miami - they wanted me to go down and visit," Rendon said. "Right before I did that Coach [Wayne Graham] called me and asked if I was ready to commit. I committed on the spot and I didn't get to go to Miami."

But Rendon wasn't too disappointed about missing the trip to South Beach. After all, once he committed to Rice, Rendon, a Houston-area player plenty familiar with the reputation of Rice's baseball program, knew he would get to continue his tradition of being on winning teams.

"I remember growing up what kind of program they were," Rendon said. "I knew they had a good reputation. . I wanted to be on a winning team."

Rice's list of esteemed alumni and current professional players, along with a reputation Rendon already respected, were some of the reasons Rice was so enticing to the third baseman. However, the opportunity to play for Graham also played a major factor into Rendon's decision.

"I didn't want to play for just some coach," Rendon said. "He's been through it all, he knows baseball. . I knew I could learn a lot from him."

Graham, who is currently in his 18th season as the head of the Rice program, recently celebrated his 800th Rice win and has nearly 1,400 total victories. With a resume like that, Rendon expected that Graham would be a coach he could easily look up to.

"I was a little intimidated because of who he is," Rendon said. "He keeps me in check. . He's the coach and I'm the player."

One last choice

But even a coach with Graham's resume could not prevent Rendon from avoiding the temptation of the MLB draft last June. The draft affected Rice baseball in several ways: 11 players from the 2008 squad were drafted, and other prospective players were also drafted. One of those in the latter category was Rendon, who was drafted in the 27th round by the Atlanta Braves.

"It was kind of a big decision because [the Braves] offered a pretty good amount of money," Rendon said. "But ultimately, after I talked to a lot of people, I knew I wanted to enjoy my college experience and get an education first. Professional baseball isn't going anywhere - it will be there when I get out, [and] I can't pass up a Rice education."

According to the regulations of NCAA Division I baseball, because Rendon ultimately decided not to sign with the Braves, he will not be eligible to be drafted again until after his junior year. And judging from the numbers he is putting up this year, Rendon will certainly be in high demand.

Just look at the numbers. Rendon leads the team with a .388 average, almost 30 points ahead of his teammate Rick Hague. The 42 runs he has driven in are 10 more than any other teammate, and his .686 slugging percentage leads the team by 120 points. His 10 home runs are double those of Hague and Mozingo. And with just under 30 games under his belt, Rendon is already in fifth place on the Rice freshman single-season home run leaders. He would need to belt seven more home runs this year in order to best alum Aaron Luna, who hit 16 as a freshman in 2006.

Quick adaptations

The question naturally turns to how Rendon has been able to become so successful so quickly. The transition from high school to college baseball is notoriously a hard one, mainly due to the changes in pitching. College pitchers do not just throw faster, but they also throw smarter and crisper.

"[College pitchers have a] sharper break on curves and sliders," he said. "High school kids haven't developed it. . The curve is more of a loop [and] it's sharper here so you need to react quicker."

While Rendon did not pinpoint what exactly made his tradition to college such a breeze, Graham has his own theory, attributing Rendon's seamless transition to an abundance of talent. G r a h a m even compares Rendon to Lance Berkman, who played at Rice from 1995-97 and is entering his 11th year in the major leagues.

"His judgment at the plate is very good already, and he'll get even better," Graham said.

The freshman's stats definitely support this statement. In fact, Rendon has the second-fewest strikeouts among the starters and is one of only four hitters with more walks than strikeouts.

For Rendon, his experience with the Houston Heat was the biggest factor in his quick success at Rice.

"Going through the traveling and seeing the select teams, I've adjusted pretty well," Rendon said. "Playing with the Houston Heat got me prepared for college baseball."

Besides his astonishing offensive numbers, Rendon brings a strong defensive game to the table. Though he played shortstop in his later high school years, Rendon has experience with third base, and it was not a problem for him to switch back. Even so, his six errors leave him with the second-most on the team.

"He's got great hands in the field," Graham said. "They're outstanding. A very good fielder. His arm is troubling him, [otherwise] I don't think he'd have hardly any errors. . When his arm gets 100 percent ... he'll be a great fielder."

The statistics suggest Rendon has little to improve. However, he feels differently.

"My speed hasn't always been there," Rendon said. "I'm trying to get quicker to get more range in the field. If I can steal more bases, that'd be great."

Rendon already ranks second on the team with six stolen bases.

In addition to his improvements, Rendon has other team and personal goals for his debut season. Of course, he wants to make sure the team makes it to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series for the fourth year in a row. Individually, he wants to be named to the Freshman All-America team as his teammate Hague did last year.

If the statistics and Graham's endorsement of Rendon are any indication, his goals are clearly within his reach.

"He's as good a freshman as there is in this country," Graham said.

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