Baseball

MVC Baseball Weekly Notebook (April 27)

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Valley Conference announced its baseball weekly honors on Monday. 

Player of the Week: Brayden Bakes, Illinois State
Pitcher of the Week: Spencer Johnsen, Indiana State
Newcomer of the Week: Ryan Bakes, Illinois State
Freshman of the Week: Nate Webb, Belmont

Conference News & Notes
  • Murray State remains in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings after grabbing a series win over Southern Illinois on Sunday. Indiana State and UIC are tied with a 10-5 record in league play while Evansville (9-6) and Illinois State (9-9) round out the top half of the MVC standings.
  • Murray State took the series from Southern Illinois on Sunday, defeating the Salukis, 7-5. Connor Chisolm tied his single-game career high with four hits on the day, knocking two triples with three RBI. His performance marked the first multi-triple performance by a Racer since 2022.
  • Indiana State used an extra-inning, walk-off win on Friday, and a six-run fourth inning on Saturday, to earn its fifth series victory of the season. The Sycamores held the Purple Aces to just 14 hits in the series and a .143 batting average as a team.
  • Illinois State overcame a four-run deficit on Sunday to sweep the series with Bradley. The Redbirds used a career performance by Carson Cormier on Saturday to help record Illinois State’s first shutout of the 2026 campaign. Cormier tossed a career-best eight scoreless frames and added eight strikeouts in the outing.
  • Belmont earned the series win over Valparaiso on Saturday, marking its third Conference series win of the season, with a 2-0 victory. The shutout marked the first of the 2026 campaign for the Bruins.
  • UIC swept Youngstown State at home during its MVC bye week, outscoring the Penguins, 21-10. With the series sweep, the Flames have won eight of their last 10 games.
  • Illinois State’s Reece Clapp and Murray State’s Dylan Zentko were named to the 2026 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Midseason Stopper of the Year Award Watch Lis on Wednesday. Clapp picked up two more saves against Bradley this past weekend, while Zentko earned his second win of the year.
  • Valparaiso’s Connor Lockwood tossed his third complete game of the season on Saturday, becoming just the fourth player in the nation to throw his third complete game of the year. The Libertyville, Illinois, native became the first Valpo pitcher with three complete games in a season since 2016.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brayden Bakes, Illinois State
Redshirt Sophomore | Outfielder | Algonquin, Ill. (Huntley HS)
For the third time this season, Illinois State’s Brayden Bakes was tabbed the MVC Player of the Week. Bakes went 10-for-18 (.556) in four wins for the Redbirds, including a career-high four hits in their win over Illinois. Eight of his 10 hits were for extra bases, including three doubles against the Illini. In the series opener with Bradley, Bakes launched the walk-off home run before turning in a pair of multi-hit performances in the final two games of the series. Bakes slugged .1.278 with a .619 on-base percentage.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Spencer Johnsen, Indiana State
Junior | LHP | Huntington Beach, Calif. (Santa Ana College)
Indiana State’s Spencer Johnsen posted career-highs in both innings pitched (7.1) and strikeouts (9) in Sunday’s series finale against Evansville. The junior left-hander shut down the Evansville offense throughout the contest allowing just four hits and two unearned runs while not walking a single batter before turning the ball over to the bullpen in the 2-2 contest. Johnsen posted at least two strikeouts in the first, third, and fifth innings in the contest to highlight and Indiana State pitching staff that posted a 2.19 ERA and an opponent batting average of .177 over the four games played on the week.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Bakes, Illinois State
Junior | C | Algonquin, Ill. (South Carolina)
Illinois State’s Ryan Bakes amassed six hits, all extra-base hits, across an undefeated week for the Redbirds. He matched a career-best three hits and totaled a career-high five RBI against Bradley, including four on a first-career grand slam. Bakes scored six runs in four contests, while playing a pivotal role defensively in the Redbirds’ 1-0 victory on Saturday, throwing out three base runners attempting to steal. 

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Nate Webb, Belmont
Freshman | Infielder | Hendersonville, Tenn. (Pope John Paul II HS)
Over four games, Webb hit .538 (7-for-13) while consistently delivering quality at-bats in the middle of the lineup. He recorded multiple hits in three of the four contests, including a standout 3-for-4 performance in the series finale at Valparaiso. Webb’s biggest moment came earlier in the week against UT Martin, when he launched a pivotal home run that shifted momentum in Belmont’s favor. In addition to his power, Webb showed strong plate discipline and situational awareness, driving in runs,  limiting strikeouts, and consistently putting the ball in play. His production helped Belmont stay competitive in conference play and generate key scoring opportunities.