RICHMOND, Va. – VCU Baseball redshirt sophomore infielder
Tyler Locklear was named the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Player of the Year, while redshirt sophomore pitcher
Jack Masloff earned First Team All-State recognition, and redshirt sophomore designated hitter
Will Carlone was tabbed to the Second Team, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
Locklear, named an All-American by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America, put up eye-popping numbers as he led the Rams to back-to-back Atlantic 10 championships and etched his name into the VCU record book. His 20 home runs and 78 RBIs are both single-season program records, while his 37 career homers are tied for the most in VCU history, and his .704 career slugging percentage is the highest ever by a Ram.
The Abingdon, Md., product also ranks in the top 10 in VCU history for a number of single-season marks, including runs (77 – 2nd), doubles (25 – T2nd), batting average (.402 – 5th), walks (47 – 6th), and hits (90 – T7th). His .361 career batting average also ranks as sixth-best in program history, while his 152 career RBIs are tied for ninth-most.
Locklear was the Most Outstanding Player at the A-10 Championship, and was named to the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team. He also garnered First Team All-Atlantic 10 and ABCA First Team All-Region honors for the second straight year, in addition to being selected as a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week twice, and the A-10 Player of the Week twice.
In 2021, Locklear was the VaSID All-State Rookie of the Year and was First Team All-State. This year, he was selected on the All-State Second Team.
Masloff was a back-of-the-bullpen weapon for VCU, leading the Rams with 65 strikeouts and five saves. The lefty compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.56 ERA in 56.1 innings across 22 appearances. Masloff limited opposing batters to just 14 walks and a .205 average, including a stretch of 25.0 innings from April 3-May 15 where he did not issue a walk. The Charlottesville, Va., product was crucial in VCU's postseason run, throwing a perfect ninth inning to close out the A-10 title, getting the final out with a swinging strikeout. He also tossed 6.0 scoreless frames with six strikeouts in two appearances at the Chapel Hill Regional.
Carlone added to his accolades after also being named to the All-Atlantic 10 Second Team. The slugger was red hot down the stretch, earning spots on the A-10 All-Championship Team and the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team. In 53 games, Carlone compiled a slash line of .326/.412/.522 with 11 doubles, eight home runs, 32 runs, and 47 RBIs. The West Seneca, N.Y., product totaled 12 RBIs with a pair of homers, including a grand slam, going 7-for-9 as VCU won its final two games of the Atlantic 10 Championship. He finished the year on an 11-game hitting streak, including a solo home run in an 8-1 win over Georgia at the Chapel Hill Regional on June 3.
In 2022, the Rams went 42-20, winning their second straight and third total A-10 title since joining the league in 2013, which was their eighth conference tournament championship overall. That booked VCU's ticket to its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance, where it was a 3-seed at the Chapel Hill Regional.
VCU extended a 17-game win streak into the Regional final with wins over Georgia and No. 10 North Carolina. After starting the year 3-8, the Rams finished the season 39-12 over the final 51 games. It is the eighth consecutive full season that VCU has won 34 or more games, and the seventh time in program history that the Rams have hit the 40-win plateau.
