CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Former Illinois pitcher Ty Weber signed a professional contract with the San Francisco Giants, he announced Monday. Weber threw 260 2/3 innings over four years for Illinois, winning 12 games and owning a 3.97 career ERA with 167 strikeouts. 

"Proud to announce that I have accepted a free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants," Weber said on Instagram. "Thank you to all of my friends and family for the support throughout my career. Thank you @illinibaseball for the best four years of college. Excited to get to work!"

A weekend starter for nearly the entirety of his career, Weber was off to his best start in an Illinois uniform in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the college baseball season after only four weeks. As Illinois' ace, Weber had a 2-0 record and 1.31 ERA in four starts. He threw 20 2/3 innings, striking out 15 and walking only two for a big jump in his career strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

One of his most memorable and dominant outings came two weeks before the 2020 season was shut down when Weber dueled future No. 4 overall pick Asa Lacy and No. 13 Texas A&M. Lacy threw six shutouts innings while Weber threw 6 2/3 shutout frames, as the Illini eventually won a 1-0 thriller on a Friday night in front of 6,272 fans at the Frisco Classic. 

Weber improved in each of his four seasons in Champaign and helped the Illini to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 as a top-two starter in what ended up being his final full collegiate season. He was 2-7 with a 5.51 ERA as a weekend starter as a freshman in 2017, went 4-3 with a 3.84 ERA as a sophomore, and went 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA as a junior. 

Weber is on pace to graduate with a degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism in August 2020. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection as a senior.