State College, Pa., May 9, 2002 Penn State junior second baseman Mike DeRenzo (Murrysville, Pa.) has been named to the Verizon Academic All-District 2 Team, which was announced today.

DeRenzo’s honor marks the second-straight season in which he has been named to the all-district squad and he will now be eligible for the Verizon Academic All-America team which will be announced on June 4. DeRenzo was named first-team Verizon Academic All-America selection in 2001 and would be the first Nittany Lion baseball player to earn Academic All-America distinction in back-to-back seasons in the program’s history.

The junior currently carries a 3.76 grade point average while majoring in computer engineering. He is one of only three underclassmen who were named to the 12-member first-team all-district 2 squad.

DeRenzo, who posted a Big Ten best 23-game hitting streak earlier this season, is currently hitting .367 overall and leads Penn State with 50 runs scored. The junior also has driven in a total of 27 runs while recording a .449 on-base percentage.

DeRenzo, a third-team All-Big Ten choice in 2001, has posted 62 hits this season, including eight doubles and a career-best three home runs.

Penn State is currently 21-23 overall and 10-13 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions open a crucial four-game set at Illinois on Friday, May 10 at 7:35 p.m. (ET)

-NITTANY LIONS-