Many years ago, a team from Southern Illinois came to Troy during the early Spring. I think they stayed a week in the visiting team quarters. Probably played a game a day while they were there.
May have been Eastern Illinois State or something like that. I got to talking to them a few times and they were good kids, mostly rural. Pretty good ball players too. I was impressed with them.
I feel sorry for the good people in a state who get out-voted by the liberals.