2015 Baseball Roster
Jersey Number 11
Tyler Jay
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 185
- Position:
- LHP
- Hometown:
- Lemont, Ill.
- High School:
- Lemont
2015 - Junior
- Drafted No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Twins, the highest draft pick in school history
- First-Team All-American relief pitcher by five publications: NCBWA, ABCA, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, Perfect Game
- Second-Team All-American relief pitcher by D1Baseball.com
- Big Ten Pitcher of the Year (first since pitching coach Drew Dickinson in 2001) and first-team All-Big Ten (second career honor - second-team in 2014)
- NCBWA District V Player of the Year
- First-team All-Mideast Region pitcher
- College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year Finalist
- NCBWA Stopper of the Year Finalist (award given to top relief pitcher)
- 2015 Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
- Set the school record for saves in a season (14) and career (24)
- Boasted a 5-2 record with a school-record 14 saves and a 1.08 ERA in 30 appearances (66.2 IP), including 27 scoreless outings
- Ranked No. 2 in NCAA with a 0.71 WHIP, No. 3 with a 1.08 ERA, No. 3 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.86), No. 6 in walks allowed per nine innings (0.95) and No. 7 with 5.40 hits allowed per nine innings
- Led the Big Ten in ERA (1.08) and opposing batting average (.177), 2nd in saves (14), T-3rd in appearances (30), 6th in strikeouts (76) and T-12th in wins (5)
- Closed out the first Regional championship in Illinois history by throwing 4.0 scoreless innings and striking out five against Wright State (6/1) for his school-record 14th save
- Threw two scoreless outings during the Big Ten Tournament, notching his 13th save of the season against Nebraska (5/20)
- Closed out Illinois’ 2015 Big Ten title with the final five outs vs. Nebraska (5/14) for save No. 11
- Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 9 after going 1-0 with two saves, totaling 7.2 scoreless innings in relief & only allowing three hits in three appearances from March 2-8
- Earned first save of season with a perfect ninth vs. New Mexico State (2/14)
- Won first career start with six strikeouts over five scoreless innings at Lamar (2/15)
- Midseason All-American on D1Baseball.com
- USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason, Midseason and Final Watch List
- Louisville Slugger Preseason Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball
- Perfect Game Preseason Second-Team All-American and No. 18 Junior Prospect
- Baseball America and NCBWA Preseason Third-Team All-American
- Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch
Sophomore - 2014
- Shined for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a save, 21 strikeouts and six walks in 16.2 IP
- Second-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-Mideast Region relief pitcher
- Posted a 4-1 record and led the bullpen with a 1.94 ERA along with the most strikeouts (47) in the bullpen in a team-high 23 appearances (41.2 IP)
- 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
- Did not allow a run in 17 of 23 appearances with a .190 opponent batting average
- Closed out 10th save with 2.1 scoreless innings vs. Ohio State (5/22) in the Big Ten Tournament
- Posted two saves during the Iowa series with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings
- Picked up wins in the opener and finale in the Michigan State series, allowing one run in 4.2 innings
- Closed out 2-1 win over No. 24 Indiana with 1.1 scoreless innings for seventh save
- Notched sixth save in one-run win vs. Eastern Illinois (4/22)
- Second win came at Penn State (4/18) with 1.2 scoreless innings and registered fifth save in the finale at Penn State (4/20)
- Nabbed fourth save with two scoreless innings in 1-0 victory over Michigan (4/11)
- Notched first win with two strikeouts in two innings pitched at Northwestern (4/5)
- Pitched a career-high five innings vs. Xavier (3/23) and notched a career-high eight strikeouts
- Earned third save by pitching the final 2.2 innings at Florida (3/2)
- Notched second save with two strikeouts at Coastal Carolina (2/22)
- Recorded first career save at Georgia State (2/15) with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts
Freshman - 2013
- Turned in a 3.10 ERA and went 1-3 in 20.1 innings out of the bullpen
- Tied for the second-most relief appearances (18) and recorded the second-most strikeouts (20) in the Illini bullpen
- Boasted an opposing batting average of .157 (11-for-70), which led the Illini pitching staff
- Notched his first career win in 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in the extra-inning victory at Baylor (3/9) in game one of the doubleheader, where he also only allowed one hit
- Struck out the side to end the game in the eighth at Illinois State (4/16)
- Held onto a one-run lead by retiring all four batters he faced on nine pitches at Indiana (4/7), which helped lead to a 3-2 victory that snapped Indiana's NCAA-best 18-game winning streak at the time
- Held onto the lead vs. New Mexico State (2/23), escaping the seventh inning and pitching a perfect eighth inning in the Illini's one-run victory
- Struck out both batters faced vs. Boston College (2/24)
- Made Illini debut at Tennessee Tech (2/17), tossing 2.2 innings in relief but allowing a walk-off home run
- Played for the Lombard Orioles of the Chicago Suburban Baseball League along with Illini teammates Andrew Mamlic, Rob McDonnell and Josh Ferry during the summer
High School
- Ranked the No. 25 overall player in the class of 2012 in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
- Went 4-3 with two saves in 2011, with both losses coming to eventual IHSA Class 4A runner-up Providence Catholic
- Struck out 70 in 40 innings while posting a 2.80 ERA in 2011
- Earned the win in Lemont's 2011 IHSA Class 3A regional title victory, striking out 11 against Yorkville
- Named to the 2011 Lisle Reporter honorable mention Spring South DuPage All-Area Boys Team
- Went 5-0 with a 3.03 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings as a sophomore in 2010
- Holds a career record of 9-3 with a 2.91 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 28 walks in 74 2/3 innings
- Member of Team Illinois
- Helped Lemont into the semifinals of the 2011 IHSA Class 6A state football playoffs and a 12-1 season record
- Had 28 receptions for 611 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season while also serving as Lemont's punter and primary return man.
Personal
- Born April 19, 1994
- Parents are Brian Jay and Lynn Kwasigroch
- Has six siblings: Rylie (sister), Gabby (half-sister), Peyton (brother), Addison and Teddy (step-brothers), and Chloe (step-sister)
- Cousins, Andrew Jay and Nicholas Leffler, both played football at Monmouth (2007-10)
- Uncle, Rick Jay, played football at University of South Dakota (1978-80)
- Majoring in communication
- Favorite athlete is Derrick Rose
- His cousins most influenced his athletic career because they all play competitive sports and work hard, so he has always looked up to them.
Illini Baseball | 03.18.25 Cinematic Recap vs. Indiana State
Wednesday, March 19
ILLINI BASE | Head Coach Dan Hartleb Availability (2/12/25)
Thursday, February 13
Illini Athletics | Week of Appreciation Coaches Video Dan Hartleb
Monday, December 09
Illini Baseball | Team IMPACT Signing
Friday, September 22
