Illinois ace Cody Sedlock named 2016 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year

For the second year in a row, a member of the Illinois Fighting Illini has taken home Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. The conference announced on Tuesday afternoon that junior ace Cody Sedlock was the latest recipient; he's the fifth pitcher in program history to earn the award.

Sedlock posted a 2.43 ERA and finished the year with a 5-3 record. He also set single-season program records in strikeouts (166) and innings pitched (101.1). During his final five starts of Big Ten play, the junior RHP averaged 8.9 innings per appearance with a 1.01 ERA. Sedlock's game of the year came against Ohio State on April 22, when he struck out 14 batters over 10.2 innings; that effort earned him National Pitcher of the Week honors.

Unfortunately for the Fighting Illini, it appears that Sedlock has already thrown his final pitches for the program. MLB.com's latest mock draft has slated the 6-foot-4, 210-pound prospect as a late first round pick (No. 32 overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers). Baseball America also recently ranked him as the No. 36 draft-eligible player. The draft begins on June 9, so we won't have to wait long to find out if/when he's selected.

Illinois' 2016 Big Ten Award Winners

Cody Sedlock (Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten)

Jason Goldstein (Third Team All-Big Ten)

Cole Bellair (Big Ten All-Freshman Team)

J.D. Nielsen (Sportsmanship Award)