Nationals agree to terms with first-round pick Anthony Rendon

The Washington Nationals tonight agreed to terms with Rice University third baseman Anthony Rendon, their first-round (sixth overall) selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. The Nationals have agreed to terms with 29 players from this year's Draft. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark and Nationals Director of Scouting Kris Kline made the joint announcement. Rendon hit .371 (253-for-682) with 46 doubles, 52 home runs, 194 RBI, 176 walks, 201 runs scored and a .505 on-base percentage in 187 games spanning three seasons with Rice University. The 21-year-old Rendon batted .327 and posted career highs with 20 doubles and an NCAA-leading 80 walks in 63 games during the 2011 season. He was a semifinalist for both the Howser Trophy (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) and the Golden Spikes Award (USA Baseball). In 2010, Rendon won the Howser Trophy as the nation's top amateur player after hitting .394 with a career-high 26 home runs and 85 RBI as a sophomore. Rendon's efforts in 2010 also garnered citations from the American Baseball Coaches Association (Rawlings Sporting Goods National Player of the Year) and Baseball America (National Player of the Year). Rendon was a Howser and Golden Spikes semifinalist in '09, and was recognized as the top freshman in the nation by numerous organizations, upon hitting .388 with 20 homers and 72 RBI during his first season at Rice.