I have been to Eck and vouge for how great of a facility it is. I cannot say anything about U of I since I have not seen it. It is obvious that the facilities are a huge recruiting tool. If U of I does have the facilities that were described in a previous post, there must be something else going on to result in no local players going there...poor recruiting? coaching staff? who knows.
I was at the UIC/ISU game last night and would have to say that their facility is the best in the Chicago area. It was actually the first night game I was at there and the field was beautiful...except for the sprinklers going off just outside the dugouts. I am not one to spread rumors, but I hear NIU will close their field this summer (and next spring??) for a significant rehab. Anyone else hear of the plans?
I think Mathey and Dee have done a good job recruiting the area. Mathey in his second year, I think all (or most of) this recruits from next year are from the Chicago area. If they do a nice upgrade to their facility out there, look out for NIU. With continued success at UIC, they will be a program on the rise for years to come.