Illinois College secured third place in the National Esports Collegiate Conference bracket with a 3-2 series win against Baker College on Apr. 20, following a closely contested five-map match featuring several record-breaking performances.
The result highlights the growing competitiveness of collegiate esports and the strong showing from Illinois College’s Blue Boys and Lady Blues Esports teams. The program has competed in intercollegiate esports events, including reaching Grand Finals in Rocket League and winning the Division III Midwest Championship in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, according to the official website.
Baker started strong by taking Lijiang Tower 2-0, but Illinois responded with a narrow 2-1 win on Midtown to tie the series. The momentum shifted as Illinois edged out Baker on Watchpoint: Gibraltar with a score of 3-2 before Baker answered back with their own 3-2 victory on Aatlis, forcing a decisive fifth map. Illinois ultimately clinched the match on Esperança with a controlled 2-1 finish.
The contest saw standout individual performances for Illinois College. Fray Moulton set a new program record with 143 eliminations, while Bunni Little achieved another program best by recording 125 assists during the match. Dwight Duijneveld contributed significantly to damage output alongside Carter Naeve as part of an all-around team effort.
The Blue Boys and Lady Blues Esports teams operate under Illinois College athletics using “Blueboys” for men’s squads and are based in Jacksonville, Illinois, according to the official website. Their participation spans multiple titles within collegiate esports competition structures.
With this latest victory adding to their list of accomplishments—including advancing to Grand Finals in Rocket League—the team continues its upward trajectory within collegiate esports circles as reported by their official website.
