NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Five members of VCU Baseball earned recognition on the 2022 Atlantic 10 All-Conference teams, the league announced Wednesday morning. 
 
Redshirt sophomore infielders Tyler Locklear and Ben Nippolt were named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team, while redshirt sophomore designated hitter Will Carlone was tabbed to the Second Team. Freshman second baseman Marcus O'Malley earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team, and redshirt junior pitcher Maddison Furman was named to the All-Academic Team.
 
Locklear was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team for the second straight season following another massive campaign for the Rams. The slugger, who split time between third and first base defensively, led VCU in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.383), on-base percentage (.519), slugging percentage (.751), RBIs (69), runs (66), hits (77), doubles (22), home runs (16), walks (38), hit-by-pitches (20), multi-hit games (23), and multi-RBI games (16). Locklear has also reached base in 38 straight games.
 
The Abingdon, Md., product has been climbing the VCU record books, ranking second in program history with 33 career home runs. He also ranks in the top 10 in VCU history for several single-season marks, including home runs (T2nd), runs (10th), and RBIs (4th). In 2021, Locklear was a consensus All-American and the first player in the history of the conference to win both A-10 Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
 
In his first year in the Black and Gold, Nippolt established himself as the Rams' leadoff hitter and a great defensive infielder. He ranks second on the team with a .319 batting average, a .433 on-base percentage, and 39 runs. Nippolt has also collected seven doubles, a triple, a home run, and 26 RBIs. The St. Paul, Minn., product's slash line jumped to .344/.465/.433 in A-10 play, and the Rams went 19-3 after he moved to third base and the leadoff spot in the lineup. Nippolt has spent time at second, third, and shortstop this season.
 
Carlone had a breakout year, hitting .289 with a .380 on-base percentage, a .463 slugging percentage, five home runs, 33 RBIs, 11 doubles, and 26 runs. The West Seneca, N.Y., product caught fire down the stretch, slashing .391/.494/.638 with four homers during A-10 play as the Rams earned the No. 2 seed in the conference championship. Carlone also had a pair of walk-off hits for the Rams, homering in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 win over Longwood on March 22 and delivering a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-6 win over Davidson on April 8.
 
O'Malley had a productive freshman campaign, playing 41 games, including 37 starts at second base. He's hitting .269 with a .377 on-base percentage, two doubles, a homer, 27 runs, and 21 RBIs. Another key to the Rams' late-season surge, O'Malley's slash line was .323/.417/.403 in A-10 play. The Naples, Fla., product was rock steady defensively in the regular season with a .952 fielding percentage.
 
Furman has been stellar on and off the field for the Rams, with a 3.904 GPA as an Exercise Science major. The left-hander has a team-best 5-0 record, and has pitched to a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings across 13 appearances, including seven starts. Furman has collected 21 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .221 average.
 
VCU won its 12th straight game to open the A-10 Championship Tuesday night, beating Richmond 4-3. The Rams advanced to the winner's bracket to face Saint Joseph's Wednesday, May 25 at 3:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and admission is free.