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Fighting Illini baseball received one last piece of good news before starting their NCAA Tournament run on Friday. The Collegiate Baseball Newspaper has announced that Tyler Jay (Fist Team), Kevin Duchene (Second Team), and David Kerian (Third Team) have been named Louisville Slugger All-Americans. This is the first time in school history that three players were given this honor.
Tyler Jay was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after posting a career-high and school record 13 saves leading. In 28 appearances, the junior LHP tossed an incredible 65 strikeouts while issuing just six walks. Jay also led the nation in WHIP (0.62) and posted the second best ERA (0.64). He's the first Illini to be named a First Team All-American since Justin Parr in 2013.
Kevin Duchene, the pitching staff's ace, received Second Team honors after posting a 10-1 record and tallying 85 stikeouts on the year. His 1.30 ERA currently ranks seventh in the nation.
David Kerian earned Third Team accolades. The Big Ten Player of the Year also led the conference in batting average (.366) while hitting a career-high 14 home runs and 57 RBIs.
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