CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois closer Garrett Acton was named to four All-America teams after leading the nation in saves with 19 during the 2019 season. Acton was a first team All-American by Perfect Game/Rawlings and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a second-team pick by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. 

Acton is Illinois' seventh All-American in the last seven years, joining Justin Parr (2013), Tyler Jay (2015), Kevin Duchene (2015), David Kerian (2015), Cody Sedlock (2016) and Bren Spillane (2018). He is the fifth to receive at least one first-team honor, along with Parr, Spillane, Sedlock and Jay. 

Acton set the Illinois and Big Ten record with 19 saves, 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 are two more than the next closest in the nation (Andrew Gross of UT Arlington and Holden Powell of UCLA) and four more than any player still alive in the College World Series (Tyler Brown, Vanderbilt). 

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

Baseball - All-Americans