The Missouri Valley Conference announced on May 5 that Illinois State Redbirds players Brayden Bakes and Michael Carrano Jr. have earned weekly awards for their recent performances.
These recognitions highlight the achievements of student-athletes in the conference and underscore their contributions to team success. The awards serve as acknowledgment of individual excellence within collegiate baseball.
Redshirt sophomore Brayden Bakes was named MVC Player of the Week, marking his fourth time receiving this honor—the most among all players in the conference. Bakes earned this recognition after a strong week at the plate, going 9-for-16 with seven runs scored, four RBIs, three doubles, and one home run. He currently leads the Valley with a .395 batting average and 77 hits, which ranks sixth nationally. Over his last six games, Bakes has recorded two or more hits per game and leads Illinois State with 26 multi-hit games this season.
Junior Michael Carrano Jr. received his first MVC weekly honor by being named MVC Newcomer of the Week following his offensive performance last week. Carrano Jr. posted a combined 9-for-19 effort with eight RBIs and two home runs over four contests. On Saturday, he achieved a career-best four hits and four RBIs during Illinois State’s 14-2 win over Valparaiso.
Illinois State Redbirds is linked to Illinois State University and competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions; it utilizes resources such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation according to the official website. The athletic program benefits from initiatives like the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund for competitiveness and recruitment while offering news, schedules, rosters, fan resources, tickets, multimedia content, merchandise information—and maintains an active presence on social media platforms according to the official website.
For ongoing updates about Illinois State Baseball—including upcoming games—fans are encouraged to visit GoRedbirds.com or follow team accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook.
