Oct. 6, 2014
By Lexi Shurilla, fightingillini.com staff writer | @SusanAlexisS
USA Baseball Photos
University of Illinois junior left-handed pitcher Tyler Jay was named to the 24-man roster for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (CNT) over the summer and had the chance to showcase his talent and travel abroad while representing his country and school.
Jay, who helped Team USA to an 18-8-2 record, went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a save while making the most appearances (15) on the pitching staff. He racked up 21 strikeouts with only six walks and held opposing batters to a .130 average. His impressive stats brought him national attention, but more importantly, the entire experience helped him mature as a player.
Tyler's Development at Illinois
Drew Dickinson is in his fourth year as Illinois' pitching coach after serving two stints as a volunteer assistant coach in 2009 and 2011. Dickinson oversees the development of the pitching staff and is instrumental in recruiting for the Fighting Illini, including left-handed pitcher,
Tyler Jay. Dickinson has guided Jay to second-team All-Big Ten and All-Region recognition and now a spot on the USA Collegiate National Team roster.
Jay was a part of Dickinson's first recruiting class and it has been special for Dickinson to see him grow into the pitcher he is today. Jay's favorite sport growing up was football, but he made the decision to focus on baseball for college because he knew he'd have a better chance of a future in the sport.
"You watch Tyler and I have a little soft spot in my heart for left-handers because I'm left-handed," Dickinson said. "I saw a guy with a quick, easy arm and big-league arm action. I picture him and he looks like somebody I knew or played with, or someone I've seen in the big leagues. I liked how he pitched."
Dickinson says that the Lemont, Illinois, native is on the smaller side for pitching, but going into it he thought there was going to be more velocity in a short, small and quick arm. He definitely didn't see there being that much velocity so quickly. Jay has already surpassed what Dickinson thought he'd ever get to be 'velo-wise.'
One person who really had an impact on Jay was former Illini Ronnie Muck, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels following the 2013 season. Jay and Muck spent a lot of time together in 2013, and Muck helped him transition from a starting pitcher role to the bullpen.
"He's always been very talented from an athletic standpoint," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "Through his work both in the weight room and practice, his velocity has continued to improve which has opened a lot of eyes. He has the makings of three-plus pitches with his fastball, breaking ball and change-up. From a command standpoint, he's really continued to improve and challenges hitters. I see the biggest change from a mental standpoint where he's just matured a lot since his freshman year. It's been a growing process for him and it's been a great learning experience."
Representing Team USA
It was definitely exciting for the Illini staff when Jay earned an invitation to Team USA's Training Camp in late June. And it was even more exciting when he earned a spot on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for international competition following his strong performance during camp. As one of the top 24 players in the country, Jay was a part of an elite team that played overseas in the Netherlands and Cuba. The team played half of its games in the United States before continuing its tour abroad.
"Anytime you put on a uniform that has USA across the front it's a great honor," Hartleb said. "It was something that was very well deserved for him, and something that is not easy to earn. He earned it by his performance here at Illinois and then when he went into the trials and took that next step and was picked for the USA team. He ended up having the most appearances out of any pitcher on the staff. I know it's exciting for us as coaches and really exciting for him. It's an honor to have someone from our program on the USA team."
"From a program standpoint, it looks good upon us, both as a coaching staff and as a program as a whole," Dickinson said. "Where people will say, 'Hey look at this guy, where's he from? Illinois.' People see that, maybe recruits and scouts and they look further into what's going on here and think wow, they're really doing a great job. That can go a long way with a lot of avenues, both for him and us."
As his first time abroad, Jay's favorite part of the trip was Amsterdam and thought it was great to walk around with his teammates and take in the culture. Bonding with his new teammates in new places was different for him, but his experience was invaluable. He still keeps in touch with his roommate Dillon Tate (University of California, Santa Barbara), Ryan Burr (Arizona State Sun Devils) and other friends he made on the trip.
"Last summer I played at home and that's still intense, but this summer it felt like every pitch just mattered that much more, being on Team USA," Jay said. "It was awesome. When I got there, it was really cool. At first I was nervous, not playing-wise, just personality-wise, about how the guys were going to be, but they were really cool guys. I loved every single one of them."
Quiet Confidence
During the 2014 collegiate season, Jay proved to be one of the top relief pitchers in the Big Ten in his first year in the closer role, collecting second-team All-Big Ten honors. The sophomore was a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten and second in school history for saves in a season. It was hard to imagine that such a talented young pitcher wouldn't wear his confidence on his sleeve, but that all seemed to change after Jay returned to Illinois from his travels with Team USA.
"I went up to have dinner with him in Chicago a couple days after he got back and didn't want the night to end," Dickinson laughed. "Talking to him, the conversation was unlike any other conversation I'd ever had with him. His mom said the same thing. When she picked him up she said, 'I don't even know who this kid is.' It's amazing how different he is.
"It was how he talked. Everything he talked about, everything was confident. It wasn't cocky, just confident about his abilities and what he wanted and how he's staying the course. It was like a moment a proud dad would have. That's what it felt like. It's fun to see and I'm so excited for us as a team and obviously him this season coming up and the opportunities that are hopefully there for him in the future."
"I don't know if it's just me being older or just being out there with the U.S. team," Jay said. "I have no idea what it is. I feel a little bit different. I feel just more comfortable here. Freshman year is hard with school and practice and adjusting to all that, sophomore year it gets better and this year it feels like I just have a really good grip on everything."
Dickinson says Jay isn't doing anything differently. He started throwing hard right away as a freshman and last year, and his highest velocities have gone up a few ticks recently. Overall, he has continued to get better as far as learning how to pitch, being more consistent and working with the mechanics.
"All kids want to be, no matter how good we think they are, they all want to be a professional baseball player," Dickinson said. "He has that as a goal of his, but also college was a good chance to go and develop as a player and get a start on a great education. He is one of the hardest working guys on our team, on the field and off in the weight room. Everything he's got coming to him he deserves. It's fun to watch. These are my first recruits, so to see them through this whole process, it's been fun for me too."
Professional Dreams
Although he has a lot on his plate now with the interest from professional scouts and the extra attention, Jay's maturity level has continued to rise and his coaches say he's handling it all very well. For a future filled with big-league dreams, that's going to help him go a long way. Even in college, just having a power fastball isn't going to get it done. You've got to have a lot more things. Luckily for Jay, he has all of the right pieces.
"I feel the same," Jay said about the pressure going into the season. "It doesn't really make a difference and I really don't think about it too much. I just worry about what's going on here, working out and being in shape. That's all I think about. The pressure never crosses my mind. I'm really focused on our team this year. I really feel like we've got a chance to win the Big Ten and go far in the tournament."
Jay's experiences and sharing those experiences with his teammates are a huge asset to the Illinois program. Always the humble kid, Jay has a quiet confidence about his ability and tries to be a good role model to his younger teammates. Being one of the Illini's go-to guys will bring a little added pressure, but he isn't worried about it. How he carries himself will trickle down to the underclassmen and have a positive effect on the team.
"They're excited for him," Hartleb said about Jay's teammates. "But I also think that Tyler's not one of those people who walks around and boasts about those things. He's still just Tyler. He's still one of the guys. Everyone is happy for him and excited for him and proud of what he's done but he's still just Tyler."
"Very, very proud of the kid," Dickinson said. "Getting to see these kids grow up and become men. They come in as 17-18 year old kids and the way they handle certain situations now, only two years later, when you have a conversation with him it's like you're talking to a totally different guy. It's just a lot of him growing up. I think it's a combination of him growing up, combination of last year and then not to mention Team USA. The confidence that gives you not only on the field but off the field, you can tell in how he carries himself. It's awesome. For me, I don't have any kids but it's like a father moment and I'm very proud to see it."
