Thomas Wilkey Mendonca (born April 12, 1988 in Turlock, California

Turlock, California

Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States, part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, Turlock had a population of 80,549, up from 55,810 at the 2000 census, making it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County.-Geography:Turlock lies in the...

) is a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 third baseman

Third baseman

A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...

 in the Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

 organization. Mendonca won the 2008 College World Series

2008 College World Series

The 2008 College World Series was held June 14 through June 25, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium...

 Most Outstanding Player

College World Series Most Outstanding Player

The College World Series Most Outstanding Player is an award for the best individual performance during the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The recipient of the award is announced at the completion of the College World Series Championship Game...

 award while a sophomore at Fresno State University.

Amateur career

Prior to attending FSU, he attended Turlock High School

Turlock High School

Turlock High School is a comprehensive high school located in the heart of the northern San Joaquin Valley. It is a 40+ acre campus, in the midst of a long established residential neighborhood, consisting of 133 classrooms positioned in and around an array of athletic, agricultural, business, and...

. In 2006, he hit .429 with six home runs.

In 67 games with Fresno in 2007, Mendonca hit .281 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. In 77 games in 2008, he hit .285 with 19 homers and 70 RBI.

Professional career

He was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft

2009 Major League Baseball Draft

The 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.The drafting order is as follows:-First-round selections:Key-Supplemental first-round selections:From Baseball America...

. He began his professional career in 2009.