Perkins’ Brennan Smith overcame a shaky freshman year and emerged as Bowling Green’s No. 1 starter as a sophomore this season.

His 8-3 record in 14 starts, including a 6-1 mark in Mid-American Conference play, earned him the MAC Pitcher of the Year award, which was announced last week.

Smith made 18 appearances last season, including four starts, but he had a ballooned ERA of 7.49 in 39 2/3 innings.

This season, with the Falcons losing some key pitchers, Smith emerged as the top ace on the staff. He started 14 games and went 8-3 with a 4.17 ERA in 77 2/3 innings, which was tied for fourth in the MAC. He also struck out 74 batters, which was tied for second in the MAC. For the season, the opposition has hit only .234 against Smith, the lowest average for any pitcher in the MAC. His eight wins is the top figure in the MAC and ranks 36th in the nation.

In his last 12 starts, he had an 8-1 record and Bowling Green was 11-1 in those 12 starts. In the eight games that he has won this season, he had a 2.05 ERA, allowing only 38 hits in 57 innings.

The Falcons won their second consecutive MAC East Division title. They also had the best regular season league record for a second straight year, a first in the history of the program. That earned the No. 1 seed in the league tournament, but they were upset by No. 8 seed Central Michigan, 6-2, and No. 5 Miami (Ohio), 17-4.

swalker@MorningJournal.com