Nationals select 14 players on second day of MLB’s First-Year Player Draft

The Washington Nationals today selected 14 players on the second day of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player 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.

The Nationals kicked off today’s action selecting University of California-Berkeley second baseman Tony Renda with their second-round pick (80th overall). Renda hit .342 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 27 RBI as a junior in 2012. His 16 stolen bases led his club and ranked second in the Pac-12. For his efforts in 2012, Renda was named Third-Team TPX All-American by Collegiate Baseball as well as First-Team All-Pac-12.

Renda was named Pac-10 Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2011, after hitting .332 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 44 RBI and 38 runs scored. He finished his collegiate career with 244 hits, good for sixth on the school’s all-time career hit list.

Over the first two days of the three-day Draft, the Nationals have selected a total of 15 players: four right-handed pitchers, two left-handed pitchers, two catchers, three infielders and four outfielders. Of the 15 selections, three came from the high school ranks, 11 from four-year universities and one junior college player.

RD        PICK    PLAYER                       POS     B/T       HT        WT       DOB                 SCHOOL

1          16         Lucas Giolito                 RHP     R/R       6-6        230       7/14/94             Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)

2          80         Tony Renda                  2B        R/R       5-8        180       1/24/91             University of California-Berkeley

3          111       Brett Mooneyham          LHP      L/L        6-5        235       1/24/90             Stanford University (CA)

4          144       Brandon Miller               OF        R/R       6-2        215       10/8/89             Samford University (AL)

5          174       Spencer Kieboom         C          R/R       6-0        220       3/16/91             Clemson University (SC)

6          204       Hayden Jennings           CF        L/L        6-0        170       10/16/92            Evangel Christian Academy (LA)

7          234       Robert Benincasa          RHP     R/R       6-1        180       9/5/90               Florida State University

8          264       Stephen Perez               SS        S/R       5-11      175       12/16/90            University of Miami (FL)

9          294       Derek Self                     RHP     R/R       6-3        205       1/14/90             University of Louisville (KY)

10         324       Craig Manuel                 C          L/R       6-1        205       5/22/90             Rice University (TX)

11         354       Brian Rauh                    RHP     R/R       6-2        200       7/23/91             Chapman University (CA)

12         384       Carlos Lopez                 3B        R/R       6-2        220       1/18/90             Wake Forest University (NC)

13         414       Elliott Waterman            LHP      L/L        6-5        230       11/24/90            University of San Francisco

14         444       Jordan Poole                RF        R/R       6-3        210       9/11/91             Chipola Junior College (FL)

15         474       Brandon Smith              CF        R/R       6-3        195       5/1/94               Woodbridge HS (CA)