University of Illinois Springfield baseball player Zion Pettigrew is a consensus First-Team All-American this season after picking up two more first-team honors. He was named the top third baseman in the country by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Colton Hale was named a third-team All-American by the NCBWA, and Brandon Bannon was a NCBWA honorable mention All-American.
 
Pettigrew was one of the top hitters in NCAA Division II this season. He is in the top-10 nationally with 54 walks, 23 doubles, 94 hits, 28 home runs, 79 runs, 95 RBI, 201 total bases, and a .897 slugging percentage. He leads the nation in RBI this season, and has the 14th-most in DII history for a season. His home run total ranks 10th all-time for a season.
 
Pettigrew stepped up his game in the team's postseason run to the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament. He batted .460 with a 1.020 slugging and .550 on-base percentage. In 12 games, he had 13 runs, 17 RBI, 10 doubles, and six home runs.
 
Earlier, Pettigrew was also a D2CCA first-team All-American, giving him first-team honors on all three major awards list for NCAA Division II baseball. Pettigrew was also the GLVC Player of the Year, and was named the Midwest Regional Player of the Year by all three organizations.
 
Hale, who was also a D2CCA honorable mention All-American, tied a school record this season with 12 wins. The program's all-time wins leader was 12-2 this season in 16 starts. He had a 3.58 ERA and a .240 opponent batting average. He struck out 91 batters in 88 innings, while walking just 25. Hale was third in NCAA Division II in wins, and also in the top-100 in strikeouts and WHIP.
 
Bannon, who was a D2CCA honorable mention All-American as well, ranks third in NCAA Division II with 87 runs. Only 18 players in NCAA Division II history scored more than that in a season. Bannon is also in the top-20 nationally in walks and hits. Bannon finished the year batting .365 with a .474 on-base percentage. He drove in 54 and had 19 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, and 13 stolen bases.
 
Pettigrew, Hale, and Bannon were among the leaders of a UIS team which had the best season in program history. The Prairie Stars went 48-11 overall, and reached the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament for the first time in program history.