The Mid-American Conference announced its baseball conference honors for the 2026 season Wednesday morning. Bowling Green pitcher Ethan Stade earned All-MAC First Team honors.
Bowling Green has now had a player named to the All-MAC First Team in four straight seasons and a pitcher on the first team in back-to-back seasons after Connar Penrod received the recognition in 2025. Over the past four years, Bowling Green has totaled seven first-team selections, the program’s most since 2008-11 when eight Falcons earned the honor.
Stade, who transferred from Minnesota State this season, quickly emerged as one of the top strikeout pitchers in the conference and program history. The senior left-hander struck out 103 batters, becoming just the third Falcon in program history to surpass the 100-strikeout mark. This record number is third in Bowling Green single-season history.
He ranked 21st in the nation in strikeouts and was sixth in strikeouts per nine innings at 14.5.
Stade made only one start in the beginning of the season, mainly coming out of the bullpen and throwing 3.2 innings and striking out six batters across his first three appearances. He quickly turned heads following his performance at Kent State on March 7, pitching four innings out of the bullpen while allowing just one hit and striking out 11 batters, earning MAC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Stade impressed early in front of the home crowd, tossing seven innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight batters in his first home start of the season. Following that outing, he earned Bowling Green’s Friday starter role for the remainder of the year. He struck out at least six batters in each of his final nine appearances.
His best performance came in his final home start of the season against Western Michigan, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out 15 batters, the most by a Falcon pitcher in over 25 years.
In addition to the strikeouts, opposing hitters batted just .220 against Stade, which ranked third in the MAC. He limited walks, issuing just 20 all season, helping him finish with a 5.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.14 WHIP.
His first-team selection caps off a dominant senior season that will go down as one of the top pitching performances in recent Bowling Green history.
