TUCSON, Ariz. - For the first time in school history, three Fighting Illini baseball players were named Louisville Slugger All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Junior closer Tyler Jay notched first-team honors as a relief pitcher, junior Kevin Duchene collected second-team honors as a starting pitcher and senior David Kerian was a second-team selection at first base.

Jay, who picked up his first career All-America award, becomes the first Illini since Justin Parr in 2013 to earn first-team accolades. Duchene, who was a Freshman All-American in 2013, and Kerian both were honored with the laurel for the first time.

Jay, who was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, leads the nation in WHIP at 0.62 and ranks second in the country with a 0.64 ERA while boasting a 5-1 record as the closer. He has a career-high 13 saves, giving him 23 for his career, which are both tied for the school record. The Lemont, Illinois, native has 26 scoreless appearances out of 28 total to go along with 65 strikeouts and six walks (10.83-to-1 ratio), which ranks third in the nation. He's limiting opponents to a .155 average in 56.1 innings pitched.

Duchene sits seventh in the nation with a 1.30 ERA, 14th with a 7.08 strikeout-to-walk-ratio and 20th with 1.20 walks allowed per nine innings. He has fanned eight or more five times, including a season-high 10 punch outs against Northwestern. His 10-1 record ranks eighth in the nation and is the first double-digit win season by an Illini since Brian Blomquist (10-3) in 2005. His 85 strikeouts are tops on the team and third in the Big Ten.

Kerian was voted Big Ten Player of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten selection. He leads the Big Ten with a career-high 14 bombs (23rd in NCAA), which is the most by an Illini since Dusty Bensko hit 16 in 2005. He is also tops in the conference in average (.366) and slugging percentage (.644) while totaling 43 runs and 47 RBI. He posted a career-high 18-game hitting streak along with a 17-game hitting streak later in the year.

Up Next: No. 6 national seed Illinois will host its first-ever NCAA Regional on Friday, with a showdown against Ohio at 7 p.m. at Illinois Field.