CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the conference honors for the 2025 season Tuesday morning (May 20). Of those named, BGSU baseball collected four recognitions with two different members of the program being named. Garrett Wright was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year along with being All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive Team for the second year straight. Connar Penrod joined Wright on the All-MAC First Team list as well. 

Wright is just the second player in program history to be named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Catcher T.J. Losby from the 2014 campaign. Wright is just the fourth Falcon to be a two-time All-MAC Defensive member, joining Zac Carey (2017-18), Jake Wilson (2018-19) and Nathan Archer (2023-24). As for Penrod, he's the first Falcon pitcher to be named All-MAC First Team since Kevin Leady in 2010. Wright and Penrod's All-MAC First Team continues a streak of three seasons with a Falcon named to the first team, the longest streak since having three straight years from 2013-15. 

Garrett Wright, C: MAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team, All-MAC Defensive Team
Wright has placed his name all over Bowling Green's single-season record book this year. Most notably, he broke his own hit-by-pitch record, now with 26 this season, but he's also nearing a few others. Wright is currently tied for the most doubles in a season by a Falcon with 19, needing one more to break the record. He's also already entered the Top 10 all-time for hits (79) and runs scored (58), currently ninth all-time for both. Wright is knocking on the door of the Top 10 for triples (4), needing one, total bases (130), needing two, RBI (47), needing eight and at-bats (192), needing 19. In total, Wright is already inside the top 10 or within range of eight different single-season stats for the Falcons. 

Wright has bolstered his record-breaking season for the Falcons by placing his name among the best in the nation for multiple stats. Wright is the only player in the Mid-American Conference with a batting average above .400. He's also the only player in the MAC with an on-base percentage above .500. His batting average is currently ranked 19th in the nation and is the best among catchers. As for his on-base percentage, he's ranked 22nd in the nation and is not only the top catcher, but the only one in the top 35 nationally. Wright is also inside the top 25 for three other stats. His total hit-by-pitch of 26 is tied for ninth in the nation while his HBPs per game of 0.50 is tied for 13th in the nation. His top 25 list wraps up with seven sacrifice flies, which are tied for 22nd in the country this season. He's also reached base in 50 of his 52 games played this season.

On top of his strong season at the plate, Wright has been excellent defensively as well. Playing in 52 of BGSU's 53 games, he's posted a perfect fielding percentage behind the dish while also appearing at five different positions for the Falcons over the course of the season. He's made 34 starts at catcher, 11 in left field, three in right field, two in left field and two at third base. Overall, he's currently repping a .991 fielding percentage over the five positions with just three errors on 325 chances. Of his few errors, two came at third and one in center field, giving him a perfect fielding percentage at three different positions this season, all three with three or more games played there.

Connar Penrod (RP): All-MAC First Team
Connar Penrod is the only pitcher in the nation with 12 or more saves and five or more wins this season. Penrod is now BGSU's single-season saves leader and the only Falcon in program history to have double-digit saves in a season and one of just eight pitchers in the nation with 12 or more saves. The total for Penrod leads the MAC while also being tied for sixth in the nation. As for the MAC record book for single-season saves, Penrod would need one more, giving him 13 on the year, to enter the Top 10, which would tie him for eighth in conference history. For his career, Penrod now has 13 saves, which is fourth in program history, to go along with 12 wins, which leads the current roster. 

On top of the wins and saves this season, Penrod has maintained a 1.78 ERA, which would currently be seventh all-time in program history. He's given up just five runs over 25.1 innings pitched this season while holding opposing batters to a .181 batting average. Penrod has given up just three extra-base hits this year while registering 31 strikeouts to just 10 walks. 

In games where Penrod has recorded a win or save, accounting for 17 of his 21 appearances, he's been lights out for BGSU. Over that span, he's totaled 22.1 of his 25.1 innings while not allowing a run. In those outings, he struck out 27 batters while giving up just 13 hits and nine walks. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons will transition to the postseason, beginning with the MAC Tournament in Avon, Ohio. BGSU enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the field, taking on No. 5 Toledo in the first round, set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday (May 21). 

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