Former Illinois College star athlete Jay Eckhouse returned to the baseball diamond as the new head coach for the Blueboys in the 2002 season. Steady improvement on the field could translate into big things for the Blueboys. Illinois College hopes to be in the thick of things when the baseball season heats up in February.

Eckhouse, an Alton native, started at first base for three consecutive years and led the team in batting with a .386 in 1976. He was a record-setting football player for the Blueboys during the 1970s, too. He started 33 straight games at quarterback and threw for 3,221 yards and 39 touchdowns while virtually rewriting the Illinois College record book. He also had the record for attempts (582) and completions (244).