Rendon Back Home In Houston
7/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 16, 2010
HOUSTON - Rice's Anthony Rendon, the 2010 Howser Trophy Winner and national player of the year, is back home in Houston after suffering an ankle injury on Wednesday (July 14) in the U.S. Collegiate National Team's game against South Korea in Cary, North Carolina.
Rendon is scheduled to be evaluated by Rice team doctors, who have been provided with medical data from the Team USA physicians at USA Baseball's headquarters in Cary, N.C. The remaining timetable for Rendon's treatment & recovery are pending the doctors' examinations.
"It's been a rough couple of days and it has been as tough emotionally as anything," Rendon said. "I was only with them for a short time, but I felt a real bond with the guys on the national team. It was a great experience and I wanted to be on Team USA for the full tour. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to play for my country and to play with some of the country's best players. They are great guys. I want to be sure to tell them to go win that gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.
"There is no doubt, no doubt whatsoever, that I will be back on the field for Rice," he said. "I'll work and do whatever it takes. I know I can do it and that will start as soon as I can.
"This situation might be the toughest on my parents," Rendon added. "I know they like having me at home, just not under these circumstances. They are very strong. I can draw from their strength and faith as I work through this. I always have."
Rendon was officially named to the Team USA roster on July 11 (Sunday). In his standout collegiate season of 2010, the Houston native 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 RBI (85). The former Lamar High School star also maintained an .801 slugging percentage, a .530 on-base percentage, and finished with more home runs (26) than strikeouts (22). Defensively he had a .973 fielding percentage at third base (only four 3B errors all season) and started a total of 16 double-plays for the Blue & 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 being named the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Austin Regional.
