jmjvj,
That's because they weren't ranked in the 4/14 poll but have re-emerged in the 4/21 poll. The link I posted will always display the latest poll. To view earlier polls scroll to the top of the page and select the "polls" dropdown box to view the particular dated poll of interest.
ND has one player from the Chicago area (LT). They are drawing from all over the country. You can't compare that to an Illinois. Plus if you were a stud kid from Illinois why would you want to play there if you can play someplace warmer? Let me see...... should I go to Illinois to play baseball or Arizona State? That's a tough choice!!
On the other side of the equation, I don't think U of I actively recruits--at least not in the Chicago area. My 04 is part of a high profile HS team with some high profile players and none of them were approached by U of I. A parent I know told me of a conversation that he'd had with Itch last summer and he had never even heard of Baughman. Other schools like Purdue, ND, Michigan, Indiana, UIC, Northern, Eastern, ISU etc. were recruiting players though, and not because players had contacted these schools first.
I will say with a straight face that ND is equal to or better than UI academically. The average ND grad makes 2X the UI grad in his/her lifetime. There is no comparison in the recruiting wars with itch on the wain and Paul Maineri now recognised as one of the best coaches/recruiters in the land. Simply put, the vast majority of Catholic kids in the U.S. grow up dreaming of playing at ND. ND is selling a super-regional probability while UI is close to the bottom of a very overrated conference.
Sox...You are showing your Catholic "bias"...
What you say about "all of the Catholic kids growing wanting to go to Notre Dame" was true in the '50's and '60's and that was because most Catholic schools still had nuns running the place and you were interested in Notre Dame because of their football stature...which has been virtually non-existent as a national power here recently. No one that I know ever considered ND a national power in basketball or baseball...even the years they had AD in basketball and Yaz in baseball. Great individual players but not teams.
I agree with you about ND's recent success and their recruiting prowess. I still think their schedule, in baseball, leaves much to be desired to "think" that they will perenially be a Top 25 national baseball fixture. I like what they are doing but how many times can you play Purdue and Valpo and Butler and be considered a national power?
I happen to be a big fan of the Illini and ND. Not sure why you would think that ND grads would make 2X what an Illinois grad would make in their lifetime. In engineering? Computer science? Accounting? I would think just the opposite!
I agree that Illinois will start doing better in baseball when they focus on recruiting kids from Chicagoland (from the better, more high profile programs). I don't think Itchy is up to it any more. In football, that program is now an official "disaster" in my book.
What you say about "all of the Catholic kids growing wanting to go to Notre Dame" was true in the '50's and '60's and that was because most Catholic schools still had nuns running the place and you were interested in Notre Dame because of their football stature...which has been virtually non-existent as a national power here recently. No one that I know ever considered ND a national power in basketball or baseball...even the years they had AD in basketball and Yaz in baseball. Great individual players but not teams.
I agree with you about ND's recent success and their recruiting prowess. I still think their schedule, in baseball, leaves much to be desired to "think" that they will perenially be a Top 25 national baseball fixture. I like what they are doing but how many times can you play Purdue and Valpo and Butler and be considered a national power?
I happen to be a big fan of the Illini and ND. Not sure why you would think that ND grads would make 2X what an Illinois grad would make in their lifetime. In engineering? Computer science? Accounting? I would think just the opposite!
I agree that Illinois will start doing better in baseball when they focus on recruiting kids from Chicagoland (from the better, more high profile programs). I don't think Itchy is up to it any more. In football, that program is now an official "disaster" in my book.
Tar, I suggest that you visit Eck Stadium in the near future and compare it to the dump at UI.Next I suggest you check on the budget disparity.My guess is ND spends about 100K more than UI yearly! Next read Harvard magazines report about graduates and networking(article within the past year or so). Only IVY league schools are in ND's class when it comes to success. Finally, check out the grad rate at each school and keep in mind all the other UI schools you did not mention and the size of the school in Urbana.UI is a great state school in a lousy location with a BAD D1 baseball program. Pretty good Bball tho!!!
I gotta go with soxnole on this one. My own observation is that ND is an E-Ticket to success. Of course, I am a catholic from Indiana and part Irish so for me to come to any other conclusion would be shocking.
Soxnole, I just got off the Illini Baseball website and you just might be mistaken about the "dump" that you call Illini Field. It seems that the entire facility has undergone a facelift which includes lights (the only Big 10 baseball field with such), a new infield designed and installed by none other than one of your White Sox heroes Roger Bossard,and a state of the art drainage system which includes undergroud sprinklers. Also, the dugouts have been refurbished, there is a new weight room and other improvements. You might want to check it out. There is no debating the fact that the program is down, that the top Illinois prospects are either not being recruited or just are not interested, but from what I just saw and read, the facility seems fine.
If the U of I tennis team came become the best tennis program in the country there is no reason that baseball can't do the same(2003 NCAA Champions). Wrestling has also come along way there.
tar, must admit i did not know about the new facilities @ ui. my experience with ui baseball was an away game for my oldest in 91. ya got me on that. harvard magazine is just that. alums get it monthly,my wife is an alum so i read it often. btw, what bridges?
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.
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.
Saw Saturday afternoon ISU/UIC game. Bundle of scouts on hand - rhp for ISU was 87-89 and likewise for UIC lefty Haehnel. Also got lucky and got to see St. Ignatius' Joe Dunigan bat at HS field across parking lot. He hit a weak grounder but looks very powerful.
Soxnole, you have a pm.
TAR,
So, if one kid makes his own way through Illinois and another kid makes his own way through ND, which one would you hire?
So, if one kid makes his own way through Illinois and another kid makes his own way through ND, which one would you hire?
Hanehl has gotten a lot of looks, went from starter, to the pen, now starting again...shows how that on any given day, anything could happen...isu drops one to IWU, but takes 2/3 from uic. As far as the UI/ND debate, ive been to Illinois games many times, and the facility is pretty cool, great place to watch a game, and the also benafited from the new indoor practice facility the football team got. They use that instead of the bubble. Anyone going to be around for the NIU/ISU game?
I, too, would take the most qualified of the two which would be the kid from ND, of course. 
I'm just havin' some fun, TAR. May the luck of the Irish be with you.
I'm just havin' some fun, TAR. May the luck of the Irish be with you.