Ace of Quakes

Seven innings pitched. Ten strikeouts. Zero earned runs.

On any other week, Penn junior Vince Voiro probably would have been named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week after his performance against Norfolk State.

But instead, the award went to Dartmouth junior Kyle Hendricks. Voiro’s response? He laughed it off.

Despite the snub, Voiro isn’t lacking in confidence these days. The difference between this year and last is palpable in his cool demeanor.

This season, “he’s our number-one starter,” coach John Cole said. “He’s our best guy.”

“Last year, Vince was good at times, but he was a little inconsistent with his offspeed stuff, which hurt him.”

Voiro finished the 2010 campaign with a 5.04 earned run average in an Ivy-high 60.2 innings of work. However, against Ivy League opponents, his ERA jumped to 7.26.

“I started off the year well, but near the end of the year, especially during Ivy League play, I was getting run off the field,” Voiro said.

In order to have a more successful junior season, he focused on changing the way he approached the game during his off-season.

“It was more just a change in mindset,” Voiro said. “I went into the summer trying to work on some things, trying to strikeout more guys and just relaxing a little bit, just calming down and trusting myself.”

Cole always knew that his ace had the talent.

“He’s got an arm. He’s throwing up there in the 90s, in the upper 80s,” Cole said. “The difference this year has been his refinement of his off-speed pitches.”

Through 19.1 innings thus far this season, Voiro has reason to trust himself, boasting a 1.86 ERA and 25 strikeouts.

“Now that he’s feeling confident in his off-speed stuff, he has three bullets coming at you: a power fastball, a power split and a slider that’s developing and that gets you pretty good,” Cole said.

Voiro’s stuff worked especially well Saturday against Norfolk State. Through his seven innings, in which he faced 25 batters, not once did Voiro enter into a three-ball count.

“This year, I’ve come to the game with a slight arrogance,” Voiro said. “You try to approach the game thinking you’re going to win every game that you pitch.”

And Voiro’s confidence doesn’t just pertain to his own play. He holds the entire pitching staff in high regard.

“We feel like we should win three out of four games every weekend with the pitchers we’ve got,” Voiro said.

The Quakers (6-8) will need more of the same from their pitchers in today’s 3 p.m. home opener against Villanova (9-10) at Meiklejohn Stadium.

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