Left-handed-hitting, right-handed-throwing third baseman Rio Ruiz was a fantastic football and baseball player at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, Calif. In addition to playing third, he was also a relief pitcher for the Lancers. As a matter of fact, he had committed to attend the University of Southern California when he was only a junior. He had his eye on playing both baseball and football for the Trojans.
A frequent participant on showcase squads, Ruiz underwent a procedure to dissolve a blood clot near the clavicle in his right shoulder in his senior year. Instead of going to USC as planned, he signed a professional baseball contract with the Astros after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 Draft.