After the best start of his young career, Hillsdale College pitcher Brenden Smith is bringing in some well-deserved accolades from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Smith was named the G-MAC North Division Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon, the first weekly conference award of his career and Hillsdale's third of the season.

The sophomore left-hander from Schererville, Indiana earned the award thanks to a dominant start on Friday against visiting Ohio Dominican. Smith pitched eight scoreless innings of a nine-inning shutout, allowing just two hits and five total baserunners in an 8-0 victory for the Chargers, with four strikeouts.

Smith has been a revelation in his second season at Hillsdale. The sophomore pitched just 10.1 innings as a freshman in 2025, but came back from the offseason a different pitcher this spring. He's been not just Hillsdale's most effective starter, but arguably the top starting pitcher in the G-MAC to date, with a conference-leading 2.01 ERA. Smith is averaging a strikeout per inning in five starts with 31 punch-outs to just 19 walks, and has just a .179 batting average against.

The Chargers and Smith will look to keep battling with a busy week ahead, as Hillsdale faces Davenport in a midweek contest tomorrow, Wednesday, before playing a four-game series against in-state rival Northwood on Friday and Saturday.