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 Golden Spikes AwardTyler LocklearINFRS 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.

Coaches' Poll 1 VCU 143 (11) 2 Dayton 122 (1) 3 Rhode Island 101 4 Saint Louis 94 5 Davidson 91 6 Fordham 83 7 George Washington 80 8 Richmond 76 9 Saint Joseph's 73 10 George Mason 33 11 UMass 26 12 St. Bonaventure 14

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.

A-10 Preseason Player of the Year Player No. Position Class Tyler Locklear 28 3B RS Sophomore

Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Team Player No. Position Class Mason Delane 33 RHP RS Sophomore Michael Haydak 2 UTL RS Junior Tyler Locklear 28 3B RS Sophomore

Preseason All-Americans

First Team All-Americans Player No. Position Class Selector(s) Tyler Locklear 28 3B RS Sophomore Collegiate BaseballD1BaseballPerfect Game

Second Team All-Americans Player No. Position Class Selector(s) Tyler Locklear 28 3B RS Sophomore NCBWA

Personnel

Roster

Coaching staff

2022 VCU Rams baseball coaching staff Name Position Seasons atVCU Alma mater Shawn Stiffler Head coach 10 George Mason University (2001) Rich Witten Assistant Coach 5 Coastal Carolina University (2012) Seth Cutler-Voltz Assistant Coach 3 Virginia Commonwealth University (2012) Andrew Llewellyn Assistant Coach 2 Wingate University (2020)

Offseason

Departures VCU DeparturesNameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes 1 INF 185 Quinton, Virginia, Graduated 8 UTL 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia, Did not return 9 RHP 205 Sewell, New Jersey, Transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson 12 OF 185 Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Graduated 13 INF 200 Richmond, Virginia, Transferred to Longwood 17 C 195 Laurel, Maryland Graduated 22 INF 190 Naples, Florida, Graduated 30 RHP 170 Troy, Virginia, Graduated 34 RHP 200 Charlotte Court House, Virginia, Drafted by Texas Rangers 38 RHP 235 Nassau, New York, Drafted by New York Yankees

Transfers Incoming transfersNameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School 2 INF 190 Tampa, Florida, Pasco-Hernando State 8 INF 190 Seattle, Washington Everett CC 9 OF 195 Jamesville, New York, Niagara County CC 10 RHP 165 Haines City, Florida, South Florida State 13 OF 165 Tampa, Florida, Eastern Florida State 14 C 185 Cudjoe Key, Florida, Boston College 15 C 175 Charleston, South Carolina, Randolph–Macon 16 LHP 215 Lebanon, Ohio, Lincoln Trail College 22 RHP 185 Snohomish, Washington Everett CC 34 INF 165 St. Paul, Minnesota, Des Moines Area CC 38 RHP 215 Atlanta, Georgia, Virginia Tech

Signing Day Recruits The following players signed National Letter of Intents to play for VCU in 2022. Pitchers Cade Dressler Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania Mifflingburg Area Nick Frazier Vienna, Virginia, Bishop O'Connell Chase Hungate Abingdon, Virginia, Abingdon (VA) Ethan Mishra Washington, D.C. St. John's College Virot Siharath Keswick, Ontario Crothers Brendan Wilkinson Milton, Ontario Kielburger Hitters Casey Gibbs Olney, Maryland St. John's College John Lucas Midlothian, Virginia, Trinity Episcopal (VA) Marcus O'Malley Naples, Florida, Collier Ryan Recio Boca Raton, Florida, Boca Raton Community Jesse Robinson Henrico, Virginia, Deep Run

2021 MLB draft

#7 #194 Bradford Webb RHP Texas Rangers #15 #453 Danny Watson RHP New York Yankees

Game log