CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC First Team, Second Team & Specialty Award selections for the 2026 season today. The teams were voted on by the Conference's head coaches. The All-Defensive Team has also been announced.
Miami’s Tommy Harrison was named MAC Player of the Year, while Toledo’s Nathan Leininger was tabbed the MAC Pitcher of the Year.
Miami’s Diego Cruz earned Freshman of the Year accolades, while Toledo’s Hayden Frey was selected as the Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Western Michigan’s Michael Maloney and Kent State’s Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Miami’s Brian Smiley rounded out the speciality awards by being selected as the Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
Brian Smiley was named the 2026 MAC Coach of the Year, his second consecutive year receiving the honor. Smiley is the first coach in Miami history to win MAC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons since Bud Middaugh received the award in 1973 and 1974. This season, Smiley led the RedHawks to 25 regular-season conference wins, breaking the program record 23 wins he set last season and bringing his number of career wins at Miami to 100. Smiley's squad also ended their regular season 2-0 against the Big Ten and 18-3 at home. They finished the regular season ranked in the top 40 in the RPI and ranked top five nationally in walks, on-base percentage, runs scored, runs per game and HBPs. Under Smiley's command, the RedHawks have won 20 out of their last 21 conference series, an accolade currently unmatched by any other team in the nation, and clinched their second consecutive MAC regular-season title (first time since 1973-74). The Red and White notched a 25-8 conference record to end the regular season, which earned them the number one seed in this week's MAC Tournament in Avon, Ohio.
Harrison earned MAC Player of the Year honors and was a First Team All-MAC selection in the outfield. The redshirt junior from Cleveland, Ohio had a monster season at the plate, heading into the postseason ranked top 10 in the country in batting average (.402), on-base percentage (.523) and RBIs (85), which broke Miami's all-time single-season record for RBIs. He also leads the MAC in home runs with 17, hits with 82 and total bases with 149. He was a three-time selection as MAC Player of the Week this season, including during the final week of regular-season play, where he hit four home runs, including a grand slam, and went 9-for-15 with 13 RBIs. Defensively, Harrison made 51 putouts in right field, posting a fielding percentage of .988.
Leininger became the ace of the starting rotation this season and put up an 8-1 record in 14 starts, a 2.90 earned run average, a .208 opponent average, 87.0 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts to 33 walks. Leininger allowed just 12 extra base hits for the regular season, fewer than one per start. Leininger ranks first in the MAC in ERA, opponent average and innings pitched and second in wins and strikeouts. The Powell, Ohio native pitched at least 7.0 innings in five starts and struck out at least eight batters four times. He earned the win in seven consecutive starts between Feb. 28 and April 10. Leininger was selected as the MAC Pitcher of the Week after throwing 8.0 innings, not allowing an earned run and totaling 10 strikeouts in a March 20 win over Central Michigan.
Cruz was named the MAC Freshman of the Year and also received a spot on the All-MAC First Team at second base and a spot on the All-MAC Defensive Team. The first-year from Carolina, Puerto Rico, is hitting .391 heading into the MAC tournament and ranks second among the nation's freshmen. In 50 starts, Cruz has had 72 hits, 57 runs, 47 RBIs and seven home runs. He has also been a speedster for Miami, hitting 18 doubles and two triples while stealing 22 bases, which ranks in the top 10 nationally among freshmen. Defensively, Cruz has made 96 putouts at second base and sports a fielding percentage of .972.
Frey moved into the rotation in March and had an immediate impact, with a 6-3 record, a 3.72 ERA, a .224 opponent average and 62 strikeouts to 24 walks in 72.2 innings. He appeared in 14 games with 10 starts on the season. Frey is fifth in the league in ERA, sixth in the league in opposing average and 10th in innings pitched. Frey threw 7.0 or more innings four times and tallied up at least eight strikeouts three times. He won three-straight starts between April 25 and May 9. On April 25, Frey shocked Bowling Green in the Battle of I-75 with a one-hitter through 8.0 innings, with eight strikeouts to one walk in a Rockets’ victory. He was then named the MAC Co-Pitcher of the Week for his efforts.
The first player in program history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, Maloney has been one of the anchors of a Western Michigan defense which has ranked among the nation's best this season. The Broncos lead the league and rank 24th in NCAA Division I with a .979 fielding percentage, and fielded at a conference-best .982 clip in MAC play, while playing more than half of their games on natural surfaces. Maloney posted a .977 fielding percentage, ranked seventh in the MAC in assists and helped the Brown and Gold turn 21 double plays. In conference action, he upped his fielding percentage to .983, again ranking seventh in assists.
Rienstra-Kiracofe was one of the most well-rounded players in the MAC, earning both offensive and defensive recognition to cap a remarkable season. At the plate, he hit .309 with 55 hits, 10 doubles, six home runs, and 40 RBI while drawing 34 walks for a .430 on-base percentage, one of the highest marks on the roster. His 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts added another dynamic element to the Kent State offense. Defensively, Rienstra-Kiracofe was nearly flawless, committing just one fielding error in 115 chances (.991). Rienstra-Kiracofe covered the outfield, making countless amazing catches to retire opposing batters.
The MAC Baseball Tournament begins today at ForeFront Field in Avon, Ohio as No. 3 Toledo takes on No. 6 Ball State at 12:30 p.m. ET, while No. 4 Northern Illinois faces No. 5 Western MIchigan at 6 p.m. ET. Both games can be seen on ESPN+.
2026 MAC Baseball Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Brian Smiley, Miami
Player of the Year: Tommy Harrison, Miami
Pitcher of the Year: Nathan Leininger, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Diego Cruz, Miami
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: Hayden Frey, Toledo
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Maloney, Western Michigan
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe, Kent State
All-MAC First Team
C: Brody Williams, Kent State
1B: Jacob Gillis, Ball State
2B: Diego Cruz, Miami
3B: Troy Sudbrook, Toledo
SS: Charlie Scholvin, Toledo
OF: Tommy Harrison, Miami
OF: Tanner Mally, Western Michigan
OF: Brody Chrisman, Akron
DH: Brayden Huebner, Ball State
Starting Pitcher: Nathan Leininger, Toledo
Starting Pitcher: Max Vaisvila, Northern Illinois
Starting Pitcher: Ethan Stade, Bowling Green
Starting Pitcher: Ricky Kidd, Western Michigan
Relief Pitcher: Austin Berggren, Miami
Relief Pitcher: Turner Doran, Western Michigan
At-Large: Michael Maloney, Western Michigan
At-Large: Marcus Dierks, Miami
All-MAC Second Team
C: Carson Raether, Miami
1B: Evan Appelwick, Miami
2B: Cole Smith, Northern Illinois
3B: Ripken Reese, Kent State
SS: Luke Matthews, Kent State
SS: Brett Griffiths, Ball State
OF: Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe, Kent State
OF: Sawyer Solitaria, Kent State
OF: Liam Arsich, Toledo
DH: Caden Robertson, Northern Illinois
Starting Pitcher: Ciaran Caughey, Kent State
Starting Pitcher: Callen Powers, UMass
Starting Pitcher: Hayden Frey, Toledo
Starting Pitcher: Clayton Burke, Miami
Relief Pitcher: Evan Holewinski, Kent State
Relief Pitcher: Peyton Williams, Kent State
At-Large: Blake Bowen, Akron
All-MAC Defensive Team
C– Nick Weaver, Eastern Michigan
1B– Blake Bowen, Akron
2B– Diego Cruz, Miami
3B– Troy Sudbrook, Toledo
SS– Michael Maloney, Western MIchigan
OF– Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe, Kent State
OF– Tanner Mally, Western Michigan
OF– Marcus Dierks, Miami
P– Danny Cihocki, Northern Illinois
