There have been multiple occasions when Alex Voss thought he would be forced to pick between being a pitcher and a position player.
But with college starting this fall, the South Bend St. Joseph product is still committed to both roles.
“Between my sophomore and junior years (of high school), I knew it was going to be hard to make varsity playing both,” Voss said. “But I had a really good junior year. Going into college, I didn’t think Butler would give me the opportunity.”
Voss does have that opportunity, though, and he’s preparing for the next level by spending his summer handling both positions with the Northwest Indiana Oilmen.
And Voss has no intention of giving up either job.
“It’s very important to me,” he said. “It helps me a lot when I’m pitching. I’ll know what type of pitch the hitter is expecting, so I can fool them with something different.”
Voss’ high school career ended in the spring with a loss to Andrean in the regional championship game, one season after St. Joseph won the Class 3A state title.
The Butler-bound Voss, though, was looking forward to the challenge of the Midwest Collegiate League.
“I just wanted to compete,” Voss said. “I knew there would be harder competition and it’d be tougher to get outs. There are no easy outs here.”
And in his first appearance with the Oilmen as a pitcher, the 6-foot-4 Voss impressed manager Adam Enright by handling the final four innings of a 7-6 win on June 12 that went 15 innings.
“His demeanor and presence on the mound are very impressive,” Enright said of Voss. “He’s much more in his element right now on the mound. That’s not to say he doesn’t have the ability to hit. He just has a lot of development left.
“But as a pitcher, he’s got a lot of next-level qualities.”
Voss was in that element Friday night starting for the Oilmen against the Southland Vikings, the same team he beat in his first start of the season on June 30. Through 12 2/3 innings heading into Friday, Voss had an ERA of 1.42.
He also has a .263 batting average with a pair of doubles and three RBIs in 19 at-bats while transitioning to the higher competition of the MCL.
“There was definitely an adjustment period,” Voss said. “It was the first time I’d hit with wooden bats in my life. And the first pitcher I faced was throwing 88 (mph). I knew it’d be a big adjustment from high school.
More Top Picks Braun Series 8 With Powercase
“I’ve always had confidence in my abilities, but I’m surprised that I’m pitching as well as I have.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.