2022 VCU Rams baseball
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
Record42–20 (19–5 A-10)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Rich Witten (5th season)
  • Seth Cutler-Voltz (3rd season)
  • Andrew Llewellyn (2nd season)
MVPTyler Locklear
Captains
Home stadiumThe Diamond
2022 Atlantic 10 Conference baseball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L T PCTW L T PCT
Davidson  2040 .83343130 .768
VCU y 1950 .79242200 .677
Saint Louis   1490 .60929240 .547
Rhode Island   14100 .58320350 .364
George Mason   13110 .54223330 .411
Saint Joseph's   12110 .52229250 .537
Richmond   11130 .45830260 .536
Dayton   10140 .41723270 .460
George Washington   10140 .41722300 .423
Fordham   9150 .37516360 .308
UMass   8160 .33322261 .459
St. Bonaventure   3210 .1256390 .133
Conference champion
Tournament champion
y Invited to the NCAA tournament
As of January 9, 2024[1]
Rankings from D1Baseball

The 2022 VCU Rams baseball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2022 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Rams played their home games at The Diamond as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They were led by head coach Shawn Stiffler, in his 10th season at VCU.

VCU earned their first 40-win season since 2015, and repeated as Atlantic 10 Tournament champions. The reached the Regional Final of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional before losing to North Carolina in game 7.

Previous season

The 2021 VCU Rams baseball team notched a 38–16 (13–3) regular season record. Due to ongoing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rams began their season on February 20, about a week later than usual, due to the pandemic. VCU won the 2021 Atlantic 10 Conference baseball tournament over Dayton, and qualified for the NCAA Division I baseball tournament for the first time since 2015. They were seeded number two in the Starkville Regional, their highest seeding since 2003. There, they defeated Campbell in the opening round, before losing to Mississippi State, the eventual National Champions, and Campbell for a second loss, causing their elimination.

Freshman Tyler Locklear won the Atlantic 10 Player and Rookie of the Year. Locklear earned a number of allocades including national recognition from ABCA, Baseball America, NCBWA, and Collegiate Baseball.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Golden Spikes Award[2] Tyler Locklear INF RS Sophomore

Coaches poll

The Atlantic 10 baseball coaches' poll was released on February 15, 2022. VCU was picked to finish first in the Atlantic 10.[3]

Coaches' Poll
Predicted finish Team Points
1VCU143 (11)
2Dayton122 (1)
3Rhode Island101
4Saint Louis94
5Davidson91
6Fordham83
7George Washington80
8Richmond76
9Saint Joseph's73
10George Mason33
11UMass26
12St. Bonaventure14

Preseason Atlantic 10 awards and honors

Tyler Locklear was named the Atlantic 10 Preseason Player of the Year, while Locklear, Mason Delane, and Michael Haydak were named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason team.[4]

A-10 Preseason Player of the Year
Player No. Position Class
Tyler Locklear283BRS Sophomore
Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Team
Player No. Position Class
Mason Delane33RHPRS Sophomore
Michael Haydak2UTLRS Junior
Tyler Locklear283BRS Sophomore

Preseason All-Americans

First Team All-Americans
Player No. Position Class Selector(s)
Tyler Locklear283BRS SophomoreCollegiate Baseball[5]
D1Baseball[6]
Perfect Game[7]
Second Team All-Americans
Player No. Position Class Selector(s)
Tyler Locklear283BRS SophomoreNCBWA[8]

Personnel

Roster

2022 VCU Rams baseball team
PlayersCoaches
#Pos.NameBats/throwsHeightWeightYearHome town
1 INF Marcus O'Malley L/R 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 161 lb (73 kg) Fr Naples, FL
2 INF Michael Haydak R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Jr Tampa, FL
3 INF Connor Hujsak R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Goffstown, NH
4 INF Ryan Recio R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 184 lb (83 kg) Fr Boca Raton, FL
6 INF Griffin Boone R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) So Montclair, VA
8 INF Aaron Barber S/R 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS So Seattle, WA
9 OF Scottie O'Bryan R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS So Jamesville, NY
10 RHP Edwin Serrano R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) RS Sr Haines City, FL
12 OF Jesse Robinson R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Henrico, VA
13 OF A. J. Mathis L/L 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 165 lb (75 kg) RS Jr Tampa, FL
14 C Brendan Roney R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS Fr Cudjoe Key, FL
15 C Jacob Selden L/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Gr Charleston, SC
16 LHP Joey Perkins L/L 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS Jr Lebanon, OH
17 C Casey Gibbs S/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Fr Olney, MD
18 RHP Brendan Wilkinson R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Milton, ON
19 OF John Lucas R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 130 lb (59 kg) Fr Midlothian, VA
20 LHP Jaden Griffin L/L 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Jr Lower Sackville, NS
21 OF Logan Amiss L/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Jr Powhatan, VA
22 RHP Zach Boswell R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS Jr Snohomish, WA
23 RHP Ethan Mishra R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Washington, DC
24 LHP Maddison Furman L/L 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS Jr Richmond, VA
25 LHP Jack Masloff L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS So Charlottesville, VA
26 OF Cooper Benzin R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS So Ashland, VA
27 RHP Nick Frazier R/R 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Fr Vienna, VA
28 INF Tyler Locklear R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS So Abingdon, MD
30 RHP Virot Siharath R/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Keswick, ON
32 OF Devan Barnett L/L 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 212 lb (96 kg) So Pittsburgh, PA
33 RHP Mason Delane R/R 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So Colonial Beach, VA
34 INF Ben Nippolt L/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 165 lb (75 kg) RS So Saint Paul, MN
37 C Nic Ericcson R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS So Woodbridge, VA
38 RHP Nolan Wilson R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Gr Atlanta, GA
39 RHP Evan Chenier R/R 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS Jr Georgetown, ON
40 INF Will Carlone R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So West Seneca, NY
41 INF Chase Hungate L/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Abingdon, VA
43 LHP Cade Dressler L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr Mifflinburg, PA
44 C Tyler Coy R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (104 kg) So Williamsville, NY
45 LHP Tyler Davis L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Newport News, VA
46 LHP Campbell Ellis L/L 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) So Georgetown, ON
50 RHP Justin Humenay R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Montreal, QC
55 RHP Braedin Hunt R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Fr Old Bridge, NJ
Head coach

Shawn Stiffler

Assistant coach(es)

Rich Witten
Seth Cutler-Voltz
Andrew Llewellyn


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: January 27, 2022

Coaching staff

2022 VCU Rams baseball coaching staff
NamePositionSeasons at
VCU
Alma Mater
Shawn StifflerHead Coach10George Mason University (2001)
Rich WittenAssistant Coach5Coastal Carolina University (2012)
Seth Cutler-VoltzAssistant Coach3Virginia Commonwealth University (2012)
Andrew LlewellynAssistant Coach2Wingate University (2020)

Offseason

Departures

VCU Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Steven Carpenter1INF5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)185Sr.Quinton, Virginia,Graduated
Hogan Brown8UTL6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)200Jr.Virginia Beach, Virginia,Did not return
Nick Evangelista9RHP5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)205Jr.Sewell, New Jersey,Transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson
Brandon Henson12OF5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)185Sr.Reynoldsburg, Ohio,Graduated
Greg Ryan13INF6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)200So.Richmond, Virginia,Transferred to Longwood
Josh Simon17C6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)195Sr.Laurel, MarylandGraduated
Andrew Puglielli22INF5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)190Sr.Naples, Florida,Graduated
Michael Dailey30RHP5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)170Sr.Troy, Virginia,Graduated
Bradford Webb34RHP6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200Gr.Charlotte Court House, Virginia,Drafted by Texas Rangers
Danny Watson38RHP6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)235So.Nassau, New York,Drafted by New York Yankees

Transfers

Incoming Transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Michael Haydak2INF5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)190RS-Jr.Tampa, Florida,Pasco-Hernando State
Aaron Barber8INF5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)190RS-So.Seattle, WashingtonEverett CC
Scottie O'Bryan9OF6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)195RS-So.Jamesville, New York,Niagara County CC
Edwin Serrano10RHP5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)165RS-Sr.Haines City, Florida,South Florida State
AJ Mathis13OF5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)165RS-Jr.Tampa, Florida,Eastern Florida State
Brendan Roney14C5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)185RS-Fr.Cudjoe Key, Florida,Boston College
Jacob Selden15C6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)175Gr.Charleston, South Carolina,Randolph–Macon
Joey Perkins16LHP6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)215RS-Jr.Lebanon, Ohio,Lincoln Trail College
Zach Boswell22RHP5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)185RS-Jr.Snohomish, WashingtonEverett CC
Ben Nippolt34INF5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)165RS-So.St. Paul, Minnesota,Des Moines Area CC
Nolan Wilson38RHP6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)215Gr.Atlanta, Georgia,Virginia Tech

Signing Day Recruits

The following players signed National Letter of Intents to play for VCU in 2022.

Player Hometown High School
Pitchers
Cade DresslerMifflinburg, PennsylvaniaMifflingburg Area
Nick FrazierVienna, Virginia,Bishop O'Connell
Chase HungateAbingdon, Virginia,Abingdon (VA)
Ethan MishraWashington, D.C.St. John's College
Virot SiharathKeswick, OntarioCrothers
Brendan WilkinsonMilton, OntarioKielburger
Hitters
Casey GibbsOlney, MarylandSt. John's College
John LucasMidlothian, Virginia,Trinity Episcopal (VA)
Marcus O'MalleyNaples, Florida,Collier
Ryan RecioBoca Raton, Florida,Boca Raton Community
Jesse RobinsonHenrico, Virginia,Deep Run

2021 MLB Draft

Round Pick Player Position MLB Team
#7#194Bradford WebbRHPTexas Rangers[9]
#15#453Danny WatsonRHPNew York Yankees[10]

Game log

2022 VCU Rams baseball game log (42–20)
Regular season (36–18)
Post-season (6–2)
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Canceled
Bold =VCU team member
Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

[11]

Tournaments

Atlantic 10 tournament

Atlantic 10 tournament teams
(1) Davidson Wildcats (2) VCU Rams (3) Saint Louis Billikens (4) Rhode Island Rams (5) George Mason Patriots (6) Saint Joseph's Hawks (7) Richmond Spiders
Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
1Davidson6
5George Mason2
4Rhode Island3
5George Mason7
1Davidson6
2VCU14
3Saint Louis1
6Saint Joseph's2
2VCU8
6Saint Joseph's4
2VCU4
7Richmond3
2VCU10
7Richmond7
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
5George Mason3
4Rhode Island17Richmond71Davidson9
7Richmond47Richmond167Richmond12
3Saint Louis4
3Saint Louis10
6Saint Joseph's6
First Round (Game 3)
(7) Richmond Spiders vs. (2) VCU Rams
May 24, 2022 7:02 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(7) Richmond000000003362
(2) VCU00002020X492
WP: Chase Hungate (5–4)   LP: Brock Weirather (6–5)
Home runs:
UR: None
VCU: None
Attendance: 291

|

Second Round (Game 5)
(2) VCU Rams vs. (6) Saint Joseph's Hawks
May 25, 2022 3:30 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(2) VCU1005000208112
(6) Saint Joseph's000001120480
WP: Maddison Furman (6–0)   LP: Ian McCole (3–6)
Home runs:
VCU: Tyler Locklear, Connor Hujsak, Ben Nippolt
STJ: Nate Thomas
Attendance: 394

|}

Semifinal (Game 10)
(1) Davidson Wildcats vs. (2) VCU Rams
May 27, 2022 3:57 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(1) Davidson0000003216123
(2) VCU00313124X14140
WP: Evan Chenier (2–0)   LP: Blake Hely (9–2)
Home runs:
DAV: Michael Carico, Jacob Hinderleider
VCU: Tyler Locklear, Jacob Selden, Will Carlone
Attendance: 825

|

Final (Game 12)
(2) VCU Rams vs. (7) Richmond Spiders
May 28, 2022 3:30 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(2) VCU20400300110131
(7) Richmond0312001007131
WP: Chase Hungate (6–4)   LP: Antonio Balducci (1–1)   Sv: Jack Masloff (5)
Home runs:
VCU: Tyler Locklear
UR: None
Attendance: 455

|}

NCAA Chapel Hill Regional

Chapel Hill Regional Teams
(1) North Carolina Tar Heels (2) Georgia Bulldogs (3) VCU Rams (4) Hofstra Pride
First roundSemi-finalsFinals
1North Carolina15
4Hofstra4
1North Carolina3
3VCU4
3VCU8
2Georgia1
3VCU83
1North Carolina197
Lower round 1Lower final
1North Carolina6
4Hofstra12Georgia5
2Georgia24
First Round (Game 2)
(3) VCU Rams vs. (2) Georgia Bulldogs
May 24, 2022 7:02 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(3) VCU000000003362
(2) Georgia00002020X492
WP: Chase Hungate (5–4)   LP: Brock Weirather (6–5)
Home runs:
VCU: None
UGA: None
Attendance: 291

|

Semifinals (Game 4)
(1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (2) VCU Rams
May 25, 2022 3:30 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(1) North Carolina1005000208112
(3) VCU000001120480
WP: Maddison Furman (6–0)   LP: Ian McCole (3–6)
Home runs:
UNC: Tyler Locklear, Connor Hujsak, Ben Nippolt
VCU: Nate Thomas
Attendance: 394

|}

Final – Game 1 (Game 6)
(3) VCU Rams vs. (1) North Carolina Tar Heels
May 27, 2022 3:57 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(1) Davidson0000003216123
(2) VCU00313124X14140
WP: Evan Chenier (2–0)   LP: Blake Hely (9–2)
Home runs:
DAV: Michael Carico, Jacob Hinderleider
VCU: Tyler Locklear, Jacob Selden, Will Carlone
Attendance: 825

|

Final – Game 2 (Game 7)
(2) VCU Rams vs. (7) Richmond Spiders
May 28, 2022 3:30 pm (EDT) at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina
Team123456789RHE
(2) VCU20400300110131
(7) Richmond0312001007131
WP: Chase Hungate (6–4)   LP: Antonio Balducci (1–1)   Sv: Jack Masloff (5)
Home runs:
VCU: Tyler Locklear
UR: None
Attendance: 455

|}

Statistics

Statistics current through May 20, 2022.[12]

Team batting

Team AB Avg. H 2B 3B HR RBI SLG BB SO
VCU1814.3045521331478417.522305463
Opponents1710.21737179539186.337194509

Team pitching

Team IP H R ER BB SO SV ERA
VCU'463.2371215186194509153.61
Opponents441.055245041130546368.39

Individual batting

Note: leaders must meet the minimum requirement of 2 PA/G and 75% of games played

Player GP AB Avg. H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB

Individual pitching

Note: leaders must meet the minimum requirement of 1 IP/G

Player GP GS W L IP H R ER BB SO SV ERA
Legend
  GP  Games played   GS  Games started  AB  At-bats
  H  Hits  Avg.  Batting average  2B  Doubles
 3B  Triples  HR  Home runs  RBI  Runs batted in
  IP  Innings pitched   W Wins  L  Losses
 ERA  Earned run average  SO  Strikeouts  BB  Base on balls
 SV  Saves  SB  Stolen bases  High  Team high

Awards and honors

Weekly honors
Honors Player Position Date awarded Ref.
Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week Campbell Ellis LHP May 9, 2022 [13]
Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Tyler Locklear 3B May 16, 2022 [14]
Monthly honors
Honors Player Position Date awarded Ref.

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415161718Final
Coaches'[15]RVRV*RVRVRVRVRV
Baseball America[16]RVRVRVRV
Collegiate Baseball^[17]RVRVRVRVRVRVRV
NCBWA[18]RVRVRVRVRV
D1Baseball[19]RVRVRVRV

^ Collegiate Baseball ranks 40 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season.
NCBWA ranks 35 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season.
* New poll was not released for this week so for comparison purposes the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.

References

  1. "2022 Baseball Standings". atlantic10.com. Atlantic 10 Conference. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  2. "USA Baseball Announces 2022 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List". USA Baseball. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  3. "Defending Champion VCU Selected to Repeat for A-10 Baseball Title". atlantic10.com. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  4. Denny, A.J. (February 4, 2022). "Conference Preview: Atlantic 10". Perfect Game USA. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  5. "Collegiate Baseball 2022 All-Americans". Collegiate Baseball. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  6. "2022 D1Baseball First-Team Preseason All-Americans". d1baseball.com. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  7. Cozart, Craig (January 5, 2022). "Preseason Collegiate All-Americans". Perfect Game USA. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  8. "NCBWA Announces 2022 Preseason Division I All-America Team". National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. sportswriters.net. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  9. "Bradford Webb Drafted in Seventh Round by Texas Rangers". vcuathletics.com. July 12, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  10. "Danny Watson Drafted by New York Yankees in 15th Round". vcuathletics.com. July 13, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  11. "2022 Baseball Schedule". vcuathletics.com. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  12. "VCU - Season Statistics | Overall Statistics". stats.vcuathletics.com. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  13. "Kopack, Genther Double Up for Rhody as #A10BASE Player, Rookie of the Week, VCU's Ellis Secures Pitcher Laurels". Atlantic 10 Conference. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  14. "Redding, Locklear Split #A10BASE Player of the Week Honors, Mason's Peterson Collects Pitcher Laurels, DePino Captures Third Rookie Distinction". Atlantic 10 Conference. May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  15. "NCAA Baseball - Coaches Poll". USA Today. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  16. "College Top 25". Baseball America. January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  17. "2022 Collegiate Baseball Polls". baseballnews.com.
  18. "NCBWA Top 30 Polls". sportswriters.net. Archived from the original on July 24, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  19. "D1 Baseball: Rankings". d1baseball.com. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
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