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Illinois Gets Four Selected to All Big Ten First Team

Four members of the No. 20 Illinois Baseball team were selected to the All-Big Ten First Team, the Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday. 

 

Garrett Acton, Andy Fisher, Michael Massey and Zac Taylor were all honored as first-team selections, tied for the fourth-most Illini on the first team since the All-Big Ten teams began in 1949.

 

Jack Yalowitz was a third-team pick, Cam McDonald made the All-Freshman Team and David Craan was selected as Illinois' Sportsmanship Award honoree.

 

Massey has had a consistent climb to All-Big Ten first team honors after being voted to the second team as a sophomore and third team as a freshman, hitting .323 with five homers and 26 RBIs, ranked sixth in the Big Ten in hits (65), eighth in batting average and leads Big Ten second basemen in nearly every statistical category.

 

Taylor has had a huge season despite missing 14 games with an injury. He has not appeared enough to rank on the Big Ten's batting average chart (would be fourth), yet he led the Big Ten with 20 steals and hit 10 homers. Taylor became the first player in Illinois history with 10+ home runs and 10+ stolen bases in back-to-back seasons.

 

Fisher has a 7-1 record and 2.65 ERA. The left hander ranks fourth in the Big Ten in batting average against (.205), fourth in innings (88.1), sixth in ERA (2.65) and eighth in strikeouts (85). He'll start Wednesday's Big Ten Tournament opener for Illinois.

 

Acton set the Illinois and Big Ten record for saves in a season with 19, a mark that also leads the nation.

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