Cody Dykema went to Chicago on Monday. And no one confused him for Ferris Bueller.

The Lake Central senior shortstop was taking an official visit to the University of Illinois-Chicago. Things went so well that he committed to play at UIC on Thursday night.

“They came out to a couple of my games and they liked what they saw,” Dykema said. “They liked my hitting. They said I could hit in the middle of their lineup. They said they liked my defense, too.”

Dykema is hitting .361 with a .540 on-base percentage. He has 16 RBIs and has hit six doubles and four home runs. He is 12-for-12 in stolen bases and has scored 24 runs.

In two years as a starter at shortstop, 42 starts, Dykema has yet to make an error. He’s had 59 chances so far this season.

“That is ridiculous,” Lake Central coach Jeff Sandor said. “He’s one of our hardest workers. In December, at 6 a.m., he’s taking 200 grounders, three days a week. His hard work and his magical hands made this happen.

“You can count on one hand the number of Division I shortstops that Lake County has had. Cody is now one of them.”

IPFW, Central Michigan and Ball State had all offered Dykema. But being close to home, in Chicago, made his decision that much easier.

He plans on studying finance at the Horizon League school.

“I liked the area around the campus, I like Chicago,” Dykema said. “I met with the baseball team, and I liked them, too.”