Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans
Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois reliever Garrett Acton was named to the Perfect Game (Jan. 7) and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-America (Dec. 17) second teams, the organizations announced. Acton was an All-American closer as a junior last season.

Acton set the Illinois and Big Ten record with 19 saves a year ago, while owning a 2.18 ERA, .127 batting average against and 34 strikeouts in 33 innings, on his way to All-Big Ten first team honors. His 19 saves were two more than the next closest in the nation (Vanderbilt's Tyler Brown, UT Arlington's Andrew Gross, UCLA's Holden Powell).

Last season, Acton was Illinois' sixth All-American in the last five years, joining Tyler Jay (2015), Kevin Duchene (2015), David Kerian (2015), Cody Sedlock (2016) and Bren Spillane (2018). He was the fourth to receive at least one first-team honor, along with Spillane, Sedlock and Jay. 

Acton has also been impressive in the classroom, earning the Junior GPA Award for the highest GPA of all junior student-athletes at Illinois. 

The Fighting Illini start the 2020 season on Feb. 14 against Milwaukee in Winston-Salem, N.C.