CLEVELAND –  On Tuesday the Mid-American Conference announced its postseason baseball awards with Western Michigan baseball having three honorees. Junior Connor Smith earned First Team All-MAC honors while juniors Nate Grys and Nic Laio earned Second Team All-MAC.  

It's the second year in a row Western Michigan has had three earn All-Conference members. WMU along with Kent State, Miami, Ball State and Eastern Michigan are the only schools in the MAC with three of more honorees.

Junior Connor Smith earned First Team All-MAC honors after leading the Broncos in batting average (.338), runs scored (36), hits (67) and doubles (14). Smith had a team-high 19 multi-hit games this year including a 6-for-6 performance at Northern Illinois which tied the school record for most hits in a game.

In 2018, Smith had two home runs with 30 RBIs and a .460 slugging percentage and .403 on-base percentage. The Midland, Mich., native ranked fourth on the team with six multi-RBI games and set single-game career-highs in hits, runs scored, doubles and walks. Smith ended the regular season ranking seventh in the MAC in batting average, sixth in total hits and 11^th in total bases.

It's the third straight year Smith has received postseason accolades, earning Second Team All-MAC each of the past two seasons. In 2016, Smith was also named MAC Freshman of the Year.

Junior Nate Grys earned Second Team All-MAC honors after leading the Broncos in triples (2), home runs (10), RBIs (48) and slugging percentage (.611). Within the conference, Grys ranks fourth in slugging percentage, third in RBIs and fifth in home runs.

Grys recorded a team-high 12 multi-RBI games for the Brown & Gold including a 3-for-5 performance with two home runs, three runs scored and seven RBIs in a 26-15 victory over Northwestern. Grys' first home run against the Wildcats was a grand slam in the fourth inning. The seven RBI performance was two shy of the program record set by Frank Michalski back in 1963.

The Madison Heights, Mich., native was the first Bronco to have double digit home runs in a season since 2009 and was the first player to do so in the BBCOR bat era which began in 2011.

Junior RHP Nic Laio earned Second Team All-MAC honors after compiling an overall record of 3-3 with a 3.70 earned run average in 82.2 innings of work. Laio appeared in 17 games with a team-high 14 starts for the Broncos and compiled a team-high 85 strikeouts.

Opposing batters hit just .228 against Laio which ranks as the eighth lowest in the conference. Laio's 85 strikeouts ranks fourth in the MAC while his 14 games started is tied for first in the MAC and 13^th in the NCAA.
In his 14 starts, Laio went at least five innings in eight games and went at least seven innings in four outings. Laio's best start came on April 27 at Eastern Michigan going a career-high 7.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits and striking out a career-high 10.

Kent State's Jeff Duncan earned MAC Coach of the Year while Ohio's Rudy Rott was named Player of the Year and KSU's Joey Murray was named Pitcher of the Year. Toledo's John Servello was named Freshman of the Year while Ball State's Drey Jameson was named Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

2018 MAC Baseball All-MAC First Team
C-- Hayden Senger, Miami
1B – Rudy Rott, Ohio
2B – Will Vogelgesang, Miami
3B – Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan
SS –  Connor Smith, Western Michigan
OF – Ross Adolph, Toledo
OF – Nick Kanavas, Kent State
OF – Mason Mamarella, Kent State
SP – Joey Murray, Kent State
SP – Sam Shutes, Toledo
SP – Drey Jameson, Ball State
SP – Gus Graham, Miami
RP – Colin Romel, Kent State
DH – Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Central Michigan
At-Large – Ross Haffey, Miami
 
2018 MAC Baseball All-MAC Second Team
C—Tim Dalporto, Kent State
1B – Randy Righter, Bowling Green
2B – Greg Lewandoski, Kent State
3B – Pavin Parks, Kent State
SS – Noah Powell, Ball State
OF – Jeff Riedel, Ball State
OF – Nate Grys, Western Michigan
OF – Colin Brockhouse, Ball State
SP – John Baker, Ball State
SP – Like Devenney, Eastern Michigan
SP – Nic Laio, Western Michigan
SP – Pat Leatherman, Central Michigan
RP – Andy Almquist, Miami
DH – Tanner Piechnick, Ohio
At-Large – Max Schuemann, Eastern Michigan
 
All-MAC Defensive Team
C – Hayden Senger, Miami
1B – Rudy Rott, Ohio
2B – Will Vogelgesang, Miami
3B – Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan
SS – Adrian Texidor, Miami
OF – Ross Adolph, Toledo
OF – Mason Mamarella, Kent State
OF – Jake Wilson, Bowling Green
P – Zac Carey, Bowling Green