Senior Evan Maday leads a trio of Hope College baseball players who have received All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association awards for 2021.
Maday, the Flying Dutchmen's centerfielder, has earned All-MIAA First Team honors for the third time in his career. He is joined by first-time All-MIAA honorees leftfielder Spencer Cable, also on the first team, and designated hitter/outfielder Kainan Bayn, who has been named to the second team.
Lofty statistics bear out Maday's three-peat league award this year. He leads the MIAA in stolen bases (32) and is tied for second in home runs (6) and RBIs (32). For the Hope team, he has the top batting average (.367), slugging average (.625), and on-base percentage (.480) as well.
In the 2021 season, Maday, a civil engineering major from Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Kentwood HS), set two school records for single-season and career stolen base tallies, currently at 33 and 79, respectively. He accomplished the career feat in just three seasons since the pandemic canceled the 2020 campaign.
Additionally, the centerfielder has been perfect in the field, committing no errors in 97 total chances over 35 games.
"Evan is just a special player," said head coach Stu Fritz. "Over my 28 years here, he would certainly be one of the very best. He's a five-tool guy for us, which we don't run into very often. He's been outstanding in the field, but he's been as outstanding off the field. He's just a fantastic young man; a very diligent student who leads by example. It's not every day that your best player is one of your hardest workers, but it certainly is great when it does work that way. And Evan is that for us."
Cable, a junior from Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS), joined the Hope team in 2020-21 after playing two seasons at Central Michigan University. Like Maday, he is tied for second in the MIAA with RBIs (32). His five home runs tie him for third in the league.
On the Hope team, Cable is second in slugging percentage (.560) and on-base percentage (.470). He has a .328 batting average.
"Spencer has just been a really good fit for our team in terms of personality and being a great teammate," said Fritz. "Plus, he is a really, really good offensive player. He's a great leadoff batter with a high baseball IQ."
Junior Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan/Zeeland East HS) is also new to the Hope baseball program in 2020-21, having played a season at Concordia. He contributed mostly in the designated hitter position for the Flying Dutchmen, batting .338 while leading Hope in doubles (10) . Bayn also has 19 RBIs and one home run in 29 games.
"Kainan has battled some injuries this year; a little shoulder injury, a little quad injury so he had a slow start," Fritz said, "but he has been absolutely red hot in the last three or four weeks for us. He's has a high on-base percentage (.461) and lately has hit really well with guys scoring position."