DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week awards presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending March 22. Illinois State redshirt sophomore outfielder Brayden Bakes and SIU-Edwardsville graduate student outfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen were named National Co-Hitters of the Week, while Alabama redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Fay was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Bakes extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games, while tallying two-plus hits in his last eight outings, as the Redbirds went undefeated last week. The Algonquin, Illinois, native went 12-of-18 from the dish with 12 total hits, 13 RBI and eight runs scored. With a pair of hits on Sunday, Bakes has now turned in 16 multi-hit games in 2026. Nearly a year to the date, Bakes matched his career high with three home runs on Friday night, becoming the second Redbird this season with three homers and five RBI in a single game.
Thompson-Allen had a monster week in hitting .650 (13-for-20) with nine runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBI, a .682 on-base percentage and 1.450 slugging percentage. The Sioux City, Iowa, native capped his week by hitting for cycle at Morehead State, going 5-for-6 with five RBI, becoming the first SIUE player to achieve the milestone since 2010. He opened the MSU series by going 4-for-6 with two home runs and five RBI and then added another home run in the middle game. To open the week Thompson-Allen was 3-for-4 with a double against Illinois State. During the week he raised his season batting average from .205 to .301.
Fay recorded the ninth no-hitter in program history in the Crimson Tide's Friday night series opener with No. 18 Florida, creating new career highs in innings pitched (9.0) and strikeouts (13). The Doniphan, Nebraska, native's only blemishes came in the form of two walks, retiring 27 of the 29 batters he faced. Fay struck out at least one batter in seven innings, including multiple strikeouts in five of nine innings. Over his last three trips to the mound, Fay struck out six of the nine batters he faced.
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2026 Dick Howser Trophy National Players of the Week
• Week ending Feb. 15: Tyce Armstrong, r-Sr., 1B, Baylor, Dee Kennedy, Jr., SS, Kansas State (Hitters); Chris Olivier, Sr., RHP, Lamar (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 22: Will Gasparino, Jr., OF, UCLA (Hitter); Colin Fisher, Jr., LHP, Arkansas, Dax Whitney, So., RHP, Oregon State (Pitchers)
• Week ending March 1: Cider Cannon, Jr., C/RF, Duke, Weber Neels, Sr., C, Minnesota (Hitters); Andrew Herrmann, LHP, Graduate Student, Louisiana (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 8: Lorenzo Carrier, R-Sr., OF, Pitt, Quinton Coats, So., INF, Cincinnati (Hitters); Grayden Harris, So., LHP, Southern Miss (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 15: James Smith IV, Sr., OF/P, Memphis (Hitter); Trey Beard, Jr., RHP, Florida State, Maxx Yehl, r-Jr., LHP, West Virginia. (Pitchers)
• Week ending March 22: Brayden Bakes, Sr., OF, Illinois State; Terrick Thompson-Allen, Gr., OF, SIU-Edwardsville (Hitters); Tyler Fay, r-Jr., RHP, Alabama (Pitcher)