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Mendoncas first pro season ends
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Tommy Mendonca ended his first professional baseball season with big numbers, perhaps enough to exceed the expectations of a second-round selection in the 2009 MLB Draft.
The end came against the San Jose Giants on Wednesday.
The former Turlock High star began his career with the Spokane Indians, the entry level team of the Texas Rangers, just weeks after his and the Fresno State Bulldogs’ goal of repeating as College World Series champions came up short. He went on to bat .309 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs in 49 games for the Indians.
It granted Mendonca a sweet promotion.
He landed with the Bakersfield Blaze, the Class A affiliate team that provided a homecoming of sorts at the Modesto Nuts for his first game in the new uniform. He proved that night why he got moved up, producing a standup double that eventually turned into a run in a crucial 3-1 victory late in the season.
Mendonca produced good numbers during his short stay with the Blaze, helping them advance to the second round of the North Division playoffs — a run that included a series with the Nuts. His final numbers with the Blaze were 9-for-43 with two homers, two RBIs and three doubles in 11 games.
To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.