Illinois State Redshirt Sophomore outfielder Brayden Bakes was named National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week presented by The Game Headwear, according to a March 24 announcement.
The recognition comes after Bakes delivered a standout performance last week, recording 12 hits in 18 at-bats with five home runs, eight runs scored, and 13 runs batted in over four games. He led the NCAA with 30 total bases during this period. On March 20, Bakes achieved his second career three-home run game and drove in five runs to help secure a 9-4 win for Illinois State against Belmont. As of March 24, he leads the Missouri Valley Conference with a .417 batting average, ten home runs, and twenty-nine RBIs this season.
Illinois State Redbirds is linked to Illinois State University according to the official website. The athletic program competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions according to the official website. The Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund supports competitiveness and recruitment efforts for student-athletes according to the official website.
For preparation and training, Illinois State Redbirds utilizes facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center according to the official website. In addition to baseball achievements, other teams like men’s basketball have also posted strong records recently; for example, an 8-2 start was one of their best openings according to the official website.
Fans can access news updates, schedules, rosters and other resources through GoRedbirds.com as well as social media channels dedicated to supporting Illinois State’s athletic community according to the official website.
