Flinn Tabbed With 2026 Baseball America Freshman All-America First Team Honors
June 25, 2026 | Baseball
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini freshman pitcher Aidan Flinn was named a Freshman All-American by Baseball America, which was announced on Thursday.
Flinn earned a spot on the Baseball America Freshman All-America First Team and was one of three Big Ten student-athletes to achieve Freshman All-America status from Baseball America this season.
He has already garnered Freshman All-America honors from the NCBWA and Perfect Game.
A native of Mokena, Illinois, Flinn posted a 2.79 ERA during his debut collegiate campaign in 2026, throwing 61.1 innings with 58 strikeouts and a 0.83 WHIP, the latter of which currently ranks tied for first in the country. Flinn made 15 total appearances, including 13 starts, while allowing just 13 walks all season.
An All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree, Flinn registered the best ERA by an Illini freshman since 2020, the most innings pitched by an Illini freshman since 2017, and the most strikeouts by an Illini freshman since 2013.
Flinn, now the 15th Freshman All-American in program history, is the first Illini to secure Freshman All-America honors since Cole Kirschsieper in 2020.
Illinois' Freshman All-Americans
1989 - Sean Mulligan, C (Collegiate Baseball)
1989 - Bubba Smith, UT (Collegiate Baseball)
1991 - Scott Spiezio, IF (Collegiate Baseball)
1999 - Luke Simmons, DH (Collegiate Baseball)
2000 - Andy Schutzenhofer, 1B (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America)
2002 - Drew Davidson, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2003 - Eric Eymann, SS (Collegiate Baseball)
2008 - Casey McMurray, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2009 - Willie Argo, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2012 - Reid Roper, 2B/RHP (Collegiate Baseball)
2013 - Kevin Duchene, LHP (Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Baseball America, Perfect Game)
2014 - Adam Walton, SS (Collegiate Baseball)
2017 - Michael Massey, 2B (Collegiate Baseball)
2020 - Cole Kirschsieper, LHP (Collegiate Baseball)
2026 - Aidan Flinn, LHP (NCBWA, Perfect Game, Baseball America)
2026 Baseball America Freshman All-America Teams
Baseball America Freshman All-America First Team
C Alonzo Alvarez, Miami
1B Ethin Bingaman, Auburn
2B Ethan Ball, Virginia Tech
SS Linkin Garcia, Texas Tech
3B Nico Partida, Texas A&M
OF Teddy Tokheim, Stanford
OF Jacob Parker, Mississippi State
OF Anthony Pack Jr., Texas
DH Brady Christman, Georgia Southern
LHP Aidan Flinn, Illinois
RHP Myles Upchurch, Alabama
LHP Cord Rager, Oklahoma
RHP Garrett Lambert, Mercer
RHP Caden Glauber, North Carolina
RHP Sam Cozart, Texas
TWP Josiah Overbeek, Army
Baseball America Freshman All-America Second Team
C Clayton Namken, Texas State
1B Brayden Jaksa, Oregon
2B Wyatt Hanoian, Air Force
SS Jett Kenady, California
3B Ryland Duson, Prairie View A&M
OF Angel Laya, Oregon
OF Cam Righi, Connecticut
OF Mason McCraine, Auburn
DH Enzo Infelise, Cincinnati
SP Will Labonte, Portland
SP Michael Senay, South Florida
SP Trey Williford, UNC Wilmington
SP Hayden Frey, Toledo
RP Landon Hood, Gonzaga
RP Jackson Rose, North Carolina
TWP Brady Bowen, Akron
