Valparaiso University baseball redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) was recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference on Tuesday as he closed out his collegiate career by earning 2026 All-MVC Second Team honors and achieving a place on the MVC All-Defensive Team.
 
Lockwood led the conference in innings pitched for the second consecutive season, logging 93 1/3 innings, a full seven innings ahead of the player who finished second in that category. There were nine total complete games by Missouri Valley Conference pitchers this season, and Lockwood threw four of them with no one else tossing more than one.
 
Lockwood tied with two others for the Division-I national lead in complete games with four. The CG in the final start of his career on Friday at Southern Illinois – part of a memorable 9-4 victory over the Salukis – was the seventh of his career, second most among active players nationally. Lockwood led the MVC and ranked third nationally in walks allowed per nine innings at 0.87 as he issued just nine walks in 93 1/3 innings this season. He ranked second in the MVC and 15^th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 6.56.
 
Lockwood ranked 10^th in the league in strikeouts with 59 and finished the season 20^th nationally among active players in career strikeouts with 251. He finished the season as the NCAA Division-I leader in innings pitched among active players with 329 1/3, outdoing Alabama State's Jorhan LaBoy by two innings. Lockwood also ranked in the top 10 in the Missouri Valley Conference in ERA, posting a career-best 3.86 as a senior this season.
 
Lockwood finished among the program's all-time career leaders in strikeouts and innings pitched, ranking seventh in program history in strikeouts with 251 and second in innings pitched with 329 1/3. He was a four-time MVC Pitcher of the Week in his career including once this season after throwing a shutout against Alabama State on Feb. 28 of this season, a game that included him achieving one of baseball's rarest feats – an immaculate inning. That showing helped him earn the Valparaiso University Male Performance of the Year Award at the 2026 ARC Awards, the department's end-of-year awards banquet.
 
Earlier in his career, Lockwood earned 2025 All-MVC Honorable Mention, 2025 Valpo Male Perseverance Award and 2024 Male Comeback Athlete of the Year Award. This marks the 10^th time a Valpo player has earned first or second team all-conference honors since the department joined the MVC and Lockwood becomes the eighth different player (Blake Billinger and Kaleb Hannahs were two-time honorees) and just the third pitcher to unlock that achievement. He joins fellow Libertyville, Ill. native Colin Fields (2022) and Easton Rhodehouse (2021) as Valpo pitchers to garner first or second team All-MVC status. Lockwood became the first Valpo player to earn first or second team All-MVC recognition since Hannahs in 2024.
 
Lockwood became the fourth Valpo player named to the MVC All-Defensive Team, joining Hannahs (2022), Jayden Eggimann (2018) and Scott Kapers (2018).
 
Redshirt senior catcher Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) finished fourth in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting. Riley was among the most proficient catchers nationally in cutting down would-be base stealers, as he ranked in the top 10 nationally by throwing out 25 runners this season, the most by a Valpo player since Billy Cribbs in 2013.
 
Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) tied for the runner-up for the league's Freshman of the Year Award after hitting .262 and slugging .481 with seven home runs, 33 RBIs and 37 runs scored while stealing nine bases and playing good defense in center field.
 
2026 All-Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Teams
First Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Thomas Curry, UIC Jr. C Hartland, Wis. (Missouri)
Luke Mistone, Murray State% Sr. 1B Upland, Calif. (Cal State Fullerton)
Jake Busson, UIC Jr. 2B Hudson, Wis. (Iowa Central CC)
Graham Mastros, Illinois State Jr. 2B Northfield, Ill. (Saint Louis)
Mason Roell, Indiana State So. 3B West Bend, Wis. (West Bend East HS)
Camden Karczewski, Illinois State Gr. SS Joliet, Ill. (Purdue Fort Wayne)
Ashton Kampa, UIC Jr. OF Muskego, Wis. (Bryant & Stratton College)
Brayden Bakes, Illinois State R-So. OF Algonquin, Ill. (Indiana)
Carter Beck, Indiana State# Jr. OF Carnduff, Saskatchewan, Canada (Univ. of Mary)
Max Hansmann, Evansville Sr. SP Elmhurst, Ill. (York HS)
Mason Lei, UIC Jr. SP Freeport, Ill. (Rock Valley CC)
Michael Addari, Illinois State Jr. SP Libertyville, Ill. (Michigan State)
Andrew Evans, Southern Illinois R-Jr. SP Olathe, Kan. (Kansas State)
Reece Clapp, Illinois State Gr. RP Columbia, Mo. (Bradley)
Colby Morse, Indiana State Sr. RP Harrisburg, Ill. (Jacksonville State/Lincoln Trail CC)
# 2025 First Team; % 2025 Second Team
Second Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Spike Magill, Evansville Fr. C Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista HS)
Nick Sutherlin, Indiana State Sr. 1B Greencastle, Ind. (Purdue Fort Wayne/Glendale CC)
Charlie Davis, Belmont Sr. 2B Paris, Tenn. (Columbia State CC)
Landon Godsey, Belmont Gr. 3B Indianapolis, Ind. (Volunteer State CC)
Tim Simay, Southern Illinois% R-Sr. SS Atlanta, Ga. (Ole Miss/Calhoun CC)
Landon Lowe, Bradley Gr. OF Key West, Fla. (Nova Southeastern)
Luke Stulga, Illinois State Jr. OF Tinley Park, Ill. (St. Laurence HS)
Julio Guerrero, Southern Illinois Jr. OF Caracas, Venezuela (North Central Missouri)
Ryan Karst, Indiana State Sr. SP Elm Grove, Wis. (Madison College/UIC)
Nic Schutte, Murray State# Sr. SP Louisville, Ky. (Motlow CC)
Troy Shepard, Southern Illinois Sr. SP Coeur d' Alene, Idaho (Washington State)
Connor Lockwood, Valparaiso$ R-Sr. SP Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville HS)
Mark Eddie, UIC Gr. RP Storm Lake, Iowa (Buena Vista)
Ben Rosin, Murray State Gr. RP Shoreview, Minn. (Kansas State)
Dylan Zentko, Murray State% Sr. RP Brazil, Ind. (Olney Central CC)
# 2025 First Team; % 2025 Second Team; $ 2025 Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Ryan Bakes, Illinois State Jr. C Algonquin, Ill. (South Carolina)
Caden Miller, Indiana State Jr. C Lockport, Ill. (Alvin CC)
Michael Carrano Jr., Illinois State Jr. 1B Burbank, Ill. (Parkland College)
Jaden Flores, Southern Illinois Sr. 3B Dallas, Texas (Texas Southern)
Drew McConnell, Evansville So. SS Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs HS)
Sean Cody, UIC Fr. SS Oak Lawn, Ill. (Richards HS)
Emil Estrella, Indiana State Sr. OF Santiago, Dominican Republic (Bossier Parish CC)
Connor Chisolm, Murray State Gr. OF Madison, Miss. (Ole Miss)
Carson Cormier, Illinois State R-So. SP Westford, Mass. (TCU)
Ridge Harvey, Belmont Fr. SP Collierville, Tenn. (Collierville HS)
Chris McCormack, Evansville Jr. RP Naperville, Ill. (Iowa Central CC)
Carson Seeman, Indiana State Sr. RP Auburn, Calif. (Southern Indiana/Butte College)
Dawson Hargrove, Southern Illinois Sr. RP Spring Hill, Tenn. (Arkansas State)
# 2025 First Team; % 2025 Second Team; $ 2025 Honorable Mention
All-Defensive Team Yr. Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Spike Magill, Evansville Fr. C Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista HS)
Luke Mistone, Murray State Sr. 1B Upland, Calif. (Cal State Fullerton)
Colby Ott, Murray State Gr. 2B Festus, Mo. (Eastern Kentucky)
Jaden Flores, Southern Illinois Sr. 3B Dallas, Texas (Texas Southern)
Nomar Garcia, Indiana State Sr. SS Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Talladega)
Reid Haire, Evansville Jr. OF Hudson, N.C. (Charlotte)
Vidal Colon, UIC Jr. OF Grafton, Wis. (Univ. School of Milwaukee)
Carter Beck, Indiana State Jr. OF Carnduff, Saskatchewan, Canada (Univ. of Mary)
Julio Guerrero, Southern Illinois Jr. OF Caracas, Venezuela (North Central Missouri)
Connor Lockwood, Valparaiso R-Sr. P Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville HS)
There were four outfielders named to the All-Defensive Team due to a tie in the voting
 
Major Awards
JOE CARTER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carter Beck, Indiana State
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Evans, Southern Illinois
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ashton Kampa, UIC
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Spike Magill, Evansville
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Vidal Colon, UIC
Julio Guerrero, Southern Illinois
DAN CALLAHAN COACH OF THE YEAR
Sean McDermott, UIC