J.P. Padron Hometown: League City High School: Clear Creek Last College: San Jacinto College Height / Weight: 6-1 / 210 Position: if Experience: 1L B/T: R/R

Shared the team lead in hitting and saw a lot of action at shortstop during the fall practices... Could have a sensational season.

Wayne Graham said -- "J.P. has matured into a good Division I player whether he plays first, third, or short. Good glove, good bat."

RICE
2007: Played in 40 of the team's 70 games with 24 starts... Most game action, including 20 starts, was at third base in a platoon with Diego Seastrunk... Made four starts at first base when Joe Savery was on the mound, including the final game of the season at the College World Series... Went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored against North Carolina at the CWS... Batted .310 for the season and .379 with runners on base... Knocked seven doubles in just 71 at bats... Drew 10 walks and was hit by a pitch six times to finish with the third-best on-base percentage on the team (.432)... Made an impact in the Conference USA regular season, batting .357 against the league with a .500 slugging percentage... Slugged two or more hits in a game three times, including two in the regular season against two teams the Owls later hosted in the Regional (Prairie View and Baylor)... Came off the bench to pinch hit against Prairie View in his only appearance of the Regional and executed a sacrifice bunt... Finished with four sacrifice bunts... Homered at Lamar to drive in a pair of runs... Had a five-game hitting streak in May... Turned or started five double plays from his spot at third base... Helped lead the Houston Wildcats to the championship game of the Stan Musial World Series over the summer.

JUNIOR COLLEGE Helped San Jacinto College to a third-place finish at the 2006 Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado... Hit .303 with four home runs, 11 doubles and 20 RBI in 56 games played... Batted .353 (6-for-17) a the JCWS with a homer, triple and four runs scored... Teammate of current Owls Jared Gayhart, Chris Kelley and Jonathan Runnels... Coached by Tom Arrington.

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Played in nine games with five starts at LSU in 2005... Went 6-for-25 (.240) with four walks... Scored seven times and drove in two runs.

HIGH SCHOOL A 2004 graduate of Clear Creek High School... Four-year letterman in baseball... Selected in the 12th round of the 2004 major league baseball draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates...All-District 24-5A selection for the Wildcats and 2001 district newcomer of the year... Preseason all-Greater Houston selection in 2004... Member of the 2003 Nike All-Star team and selected as the state's best power hitter at the Area Code games in Long Beach, Calif.... Three year letterman in football... Earned all-county and all-district as the starting quarterback, punter, and kicker... Member of the three-time district champion football team... Named the school's MVP for football and baseball in 2004... Represented school at Texas Boys' State.

PERSONAL Full Name: Juan Antonio Padron (prefers the nickname J.P.). Born: Feb. 14, 1986, in Austin. Parents: James and Petra Smith, League City (one sister). College: Jones

Jones College