Jan. 27, 2011

click here for coaches' C-USA preseason poll

Rendon, McInnis earn Conference USA preseason honors

Junior third baseman Anthony Rendon (right) of Rice was selected as preseason Player of the Year and senior right-hander Todd McInnis was named preseason Pitcher of the Year in Conference USA, in voting by the league’s head coaches and released by the conference office.

Rendon earned the 2010 Dick Howser Trophy as the top player in college baseball and was the second player in C-USA history to be named Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. Rendon batted .394 while leading the league with 26 home runs. He tallied 83 runs, 85 RBI and 65 walks a season ago. Rendon had a slugging percentage of .801 and on-base percentage of .530. He went deep more times than he struck out (22).

McInnis, a first team all-conference pick in 2010, has a career record of 25-13 in four seasons with a 3.85 ERA. He was 6-5 a season ago with an ERA of 3.30. He struck out 87 in 95.1 innings.

Rice, Southern Miss and East Carolina each had three players on the preseason all-conference squad.

The 2011 season starts on Friday, Feb. 18. The conference tournament will be played at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., from May 25-29. This will mark the first time the championship will be played at a neutral site. The tournament will use an eight-team pool-play format.

2011 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team

Pos. Name, School, Class

P Seth Maness, East Carolina, Sr.
P Todd McInnis, Southern Miss, Sr.
P Taylor Wall, Rice, Jr.
RP Collin Cargill, Southern Miss, Sr..
C Victor Gomez, Marshall, Sr.

IF Garrett Cannizaro, Tulane, So.

IF Anthony Rendon, Rice, Jr.

IF Corey Thompson, East Carolina, Jr.

IF B.A. Vollmuth, Southern Miss, Jr.

IF Chad Zurcher, Memphis, Jr.

OF Jamal Austin, UAB, Jr.

OF Drew Martinez, Memphis, Jr.

OF Trent Whitehead, East Carolina, Sr.

DH/UT Jeremy Rathjen, Rice, Jr.

Player of the Year: Anthony Rendon, Rice, junior third baseman

Pitcher of the Year: Todd McInnis, Southern Miss, senior right-hander

(photo courtesy of Rice Media Relations Office)