June 5, 2012
BERKELEY -
California junior second baseman Tony Renda - who during his college career has been the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year, a 2012 All-American, a 2010 Freshman All-American and a three-time first-team all-conference selection - was drafted in the second round by the Washington Nationals and was the 80th pick overall Tuesday (June 5) in the Major League Amateur Draft.
This season, Renda batted .342 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 27 RBI. He also led the Bears with 16 stolen bases (second in the Pac-12), including stealing third base three times. Renda had 23 multiple hit games this season and had gotten at least one hit in 44 of 54 games played. His 244 career hits are sixth on the school's all-time career hit list, and the five other players with more career hits utilized all four years of their college eligibility.
Renda is also tied with Lance Blankenship (1983-86) for fourth on the school's all-time career doubles list with 51 doubles, and he currently has a .348 career batting average with the Bears.
As a freshman, Renda batted .373 and was a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American and a member of the Norman, Okla. NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. As a sophomore, he hit .332 and was named to the Houston NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. Renda is the 41st All-America selection in school history and he joins Xavier Nady (1998-00) and Josh Satin (2005-08) as the only Bears to be both a Freshman All-American and an All-American in their Cal careers. On May 31, he was tabbed a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Renda is the 60th Cal player drafted since David Esquer became head coach in 2000 and is the seventh Bear selected in the second round under Esquer - joining Xavier Nady, Mike Tonis, Tyson Ross, Jeff Kobernus, Blake Smith and Erik Johnson. Cal has had four first round draft picks in Esquer's tenure - Conor Jackson, Brandon Morrow, David Cooper and Brett Jackson.
