In age, Chase Lockwood is no different from the other seniors who were part of Libertyville’s successful defense of the Class 4A state title.
With high school in their rearview mirrors, new chapters in their lives beckoned.
But Lockwood took his next step much sooner. He moved into his dorm at Illinois State less than 24 hours after the state championship game on June 13.
“It’s been a crazy time, so I haven’t had a lot of time to fully process what we accomplished,” Lockwood said. “But now is the time to come to terms with the fact that I’m a college pitcher and will really only be playing once per week. Having the chance to go against a lot better competition will be fun.”
Lockwood, the 2026 News-Sun Baseball Player of the Year, knows there’s nothing left for him to accomplish on the high school level.
Lockwood’s 30 career wins are a team record, which he set with a complete game in the Wildcats’ 2-1 win over Lane Tech in the Schaumburg Supersectional on June 9, and the 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-hander finished this season with a 12-1 record, a 1.89 ERA and an impressive 69-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 70 1/3 innings.
“It’s always been about getting better every day and competing my butt off every time I’m on the mound,” Lockwood said. “As a pitcher, you have to be super confident, and that’s helped me keep my edge on every pitch. You’re trying to win a series of mini battles. I’ve never been focused on statistics but whether we won the game.”
Libertyville (31-10-1) did a lot of that during Lockwood’s three-year varsity career, winning 92 games, three North Suburban Conference titles and two state titles, and his impact was obvious. He’s a two-time all-state first-team pick and two-time conference pitcher of the year.
“His statistics show how much he achieved in three years, and we certainly always felt great about our chances when he was pitching,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “He’s shown everyone how good he can be with the work that he’s put in.
“But one of the biggest things we’ll miss about him is his leadership. The team looked up to him.”
When Lockwood wasn’t pitching this season, he often played first base, and he was one of the key hitters in the Wildcats’ lineup. He batted .340 with 17 RBIs, including a two-run double during the Wildcats’ 3-1 win over Mount Carmel in a state semifinal. He also had a hit, two walks and a run scored during the Wildcats’ 7-6 win over Maine South in the state championship game.
“He became such a clutch hitter for us,” Thompson said. “The times when you needed a hit, especially in the latter part of the season, he was the right guy for us to have up to bat.”
Pitching is how Lockwood made his name, though. He can consistently find the strike zone with four offerings — a curveball, a slider, a change-up and a fastball that he can throw 90 mph — but he has also shown uncommon poise on the mound since his sophomore season.
Lockwood’s varsity promotion in 2024 came sooner than anticipated following a teammate’s injury, but he took the opportunity and ran with it. He went 8-2 with a 0.66 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. Then he went 10-0 with a 0.82 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings last season.
“I’m so much stronger mentally now, as well as physically,” Lockwood said. “What I’ve learned to embrace is innings when you find yourself in tough spots. That’s how you learn. If you breeze by everyone and don’t experience hardships, you won’t get better.”
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that one of Lockwood’s most high-profile outings stands out in his mind. In the supersectional against Lane Tech, he pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth inning. After an error on a ground ball cut Libertyville’s 2-0 lead in half, Lockwood struck out the next two batters.
“You don’t want it to be so easy,” he said. “You want to be able to dig down and force yourself to compete.”
Lockwood’s drive can be traced to his two older brothers, Cole and Connor, who also starred for Libertyville and recently finished a season together at Valparaiso. Cole Lockwood started 18 games as a freshman infielder before he suffered a season-ending injury in March, and Connor Lockwood was the ace of the pitching staff as a senior.
“We’re all super competitive and are constantly competing against each other, and he’s incredibly competitive,” Connor Lockwood said of Chase. “He always wants the ball and wants to dominate.
“He’s constantly looking for help to make himself better, and I think having success as a sophomore helped turn him into who he is today, both as a person and a baseball player.”
Chase Lockwood certainly appreciates being able to consult Connor about pitching.
“Having Connor helps me immensely because I can see how he’s thinking about something or his perspective,” Chase Lockwood said. “His freshman year, he was struggling, and a senior came up to him and told him that fake confidence becomes real confidence. Things like that help in how I approach pitching.”
Connor Lockwood, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team pick this season, is also a role model for Chase.
“I’ve seen how he’s overcome adversity, and he’s already told me that this fall will be a grind and that I’ll need to keep my head held high,” Chase Lockwood said. “I’ll be pitching to grown men, so that will test me.
“I’m looking forward to getting started. But for now, there’s nothing to complain about.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
