Lemont High School senior left handed pitcher Tyler Jay has signed a National
Letter of Intent to play college baseball at the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign, beginning in 2013. Jay is the fourth Lemont player in the
last two years to earn an NCAA Division I baseball scholarship.
Jay has been a mainstay on head coach Joe Rodeghero’s pitching staff each of
the last two seasons, and will be looked upon to be the “ace” of the staff in
2012. Over his two varsity seasons, Lemont has posted a combined 49-18 record
(32-6 South Suburban
Conference), and won two IHSA Regional and SSC Blue Division titles. Jay has
posted a 9-3 record with two saves over 74.2 innings in his varsity career,
racking up 102 strikeouts - more than 9.5 per 7 innings - in the process. He
has posted a career ERA of 2.91, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of more than
3.5-to-1 (102 K’s, 28 BB’s).
Jay joined Lemont’s varsity rotation as a sophomore in 2010, and was a perfect
5-0 with a 3.03 ERA. He struck out 32 in 34.2 innings of work (6.46/7 innings),
as Lemont went 25-9 overall (16-3 SSC), won the SSC Blue, and captured its
second straight IHSA Regional crown.
In 2011, Jay went 4-3 with two saves; he tied for second on the team both in
wins and saves. In just 40.0 innings, he ranked second on the squad with 70
strikeouts - an impressive 12.25 per 7 innings. He also ranked second on the
team with his 2.80 ERA. He contributed at the plate as well, batting .371 with
eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two triples) and 14 runs batted in. The
Indians went 24-9 (16-3 SSC) in 2011, repeated as the SSC Blue champ, and won
their third IHSA Regional title in as many years.
Next season, Jay will join former teammate and right handed pitcher/outfielder
Josh Ferry ‘11 on the Illinois
baseball roster. Two other members of Lemont’s Class of 2011 - shortstop Kevin
Goergen (Michigan State) and outfielder Trevor Murphy (Southern Illinois) -
also earned Division I scholarships last year.
Jay is a standout wide receiver who leads Lemont’s undefeated football team
with 22 receptions, 500 yards receiving and 10 touchdown catches. He also
serves as Lemont’s punter (39.4 average on 26 punts) and its primary return man
on kickoffs (26.2 average on six returns) and punts (15.4 average on seven
returns).
Jay will join head coach Dan Hartleb’s squad at Illinois. In six seasons, Hartleb has guided
the Fighting Illini to a 181-154 record; Illinois
has yet to finish below .500 or win fewer than 26 games in a season in his tenure.
Last spring, Illinois
enjoyed its finest season under Hartleb’s direction. It went 30-27, captured
both the Big Ten’s regular-season and tournament crowns, and split four games
in the NCAA Tournament.
