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CHAMPAIGN – With recent projections placing Tyler Jay in the top 10 of the upcoming MLB draft, nobody could blame the Lemont graduate for looking ahead.
But with the University of Illinois baseball team ranked among the top in the country, those thoughts have been pushed to the back burner by the left-handed junior pitcher.
“I don’t really think about it,” Jay said. “My teammates make jokes about it, like if you get picked by this team, can I get tickets? But it is what it is. I can’t get myself to think about anything besides winning the College World Series, and right now I think we’ve got a legitimate chance.”
That optimism is well-founded as the Illini took a record of 43-6-1 into competition this week to go along with a program record 24-game winning streak.
“It’s crazy,” Jay said. “We’ve got a lot of guys from Illinois on our team and we played against each other growing up. We’ve got Kevin Duchene from Joliet Catholic, John Kravetz from Mount Carmel, guys from St. Rita and Stevenson. It’s something that is very special to be a part of.
“Coming into the season, we thought there was a chance we could be the best team to come though Illinois, just with the talent and the way we are together. It’s a fun, close, hard-working team.”
Adding to the experience is the fact that two of his teammates, Trevor Murphy and Josh Ferry, are fellow Lemont graduates.
“It’s pretty cool, I can’t even describe it,” the communications major said. “My sophomore year in high school, I played up and I didn’t have a ride to the field for our first practice. Murphy was the guy who gave me a ride, so I’ve known him for a long time. I lived with him last year and I’ve lived with Josh the last two years. Josh is another guy I’ve looked up to.
“One of the reasons I felt comfortable going to Illinois is I knew a couple of guys here. They said it was a good time so why not? When you get a chance to play with former teammates at the next level, how can you not take that?”
Jay’s contributions have played a big role in the success. The team’s closer, the junior is 5-1 with 10 saves and a 0.70 ERA in 51 1/3 innings of work. Most impressively, he has allowed 28 hits while striking out 57.
A year ago, Jay was 4-1 with 10 saves and an ERA of 1.94. Not bad numbers for someone who entered college as a starter.
“I knew coming in as a freshmen that [a reliever] would most likely be my role,” said the junior, whose velocity has risen from consistently 87-90 mph in high school to 93-95 now with a high of 98. “I just wanted to get out on the field and that’s how it went. The only thing I had to adjust to was learning to get the most out of my innings.
“As a starter, you pace yourself. I’ve learned how to do both. If I have extended innings, I can gauge that and if I’m coming in for one inning, I try to put more on it and strike some guys out.”
Jay’s gaudy numbers this spring got him named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list, which is a group of 30 candidates for the award given to the best amateur player in the country.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I’ve played with a lot of those guys ... I know they are just as deserving to be on that list. It was great to get to know them and it’s great to see them succeeding.”
Illinois wraps up the regular season May 16 with the finale of a three-game set against Nebraska. The Big Ten tournament begins May 20 in Minnesota.
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Tyler Jay 2015 stats [though May 10]
24 appearances
51.1 innings
5-1 record
10 saves
0.70 ERA
28 hits allowed
4 walks
57 strikeouts