Years before Christopher Nolan’s epic blockbuster hit theaters, Zach Voelker was on his own baseball odyssey.
The right-hander has pitched in every time zone and in every different role you can imagine, and his second arrival in Long Beach has been a welcome stop on his journey.
During the 2026 season, Voelker has established himself as the closer for the Long Beach Coast and currently leads the Pioneer League in saves, relishing his second chance to call Bohl Diamond at Blair Field his home.
“I was super excited coming back here,” said Voelker, who was a Long Beach State Dirtbag during his freshman year of college in 2022. “I loved it here when I was playing, so when the opportunity came, I was pumped and had to jump on it … It was crazy seeing everything for the first time again. I mean, I love Blair, I love this field, so it was exciting.”
Voelker didn’t join the Dirtbags directly out of high school, however. The Granite Bay native was set to play for San Joaquin Delta College up in Stockton, but saw both his 2020 and 2021 seasons canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After finally getting to play college ball at Long Beach State, he transferred to the University of Iowa for his final two seasons.
During the summers, he also pitched in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts, and the Appalachian League in Tennessee, Virginia, and other surrounding states.
After his time with the Hawkeyes, Voelker has made multiple stops in independent ball the last couple years, playing for teams in Montana, Indiana, Northern California, and even Canada.
“It’s been awesome because I’ve gotten to go all over,” said Voelker of his travels on the diamond. “I’ve been literally everywhere for baseball, which is awesome. It’s taken me to so many cool places and I’ve met so many cool people. But yeah, it’s been crazy.”
One of the people Voelker met along the way is Jerome Williams, who was his pitching coach for the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers in 2025. When Williams was hired as the Long Beach Coast’s pitching coach for their inaugural season, he brought Voelker along for a role on his pitching staff.
That familiarity has helped Voelker achieve more success on the mound, earning him the closer role for the best team in the Pioneer League. Getting a vote of confidence from Coast head coach Troy Percival–who racked up 358 saves in 14 seasons in the big leagues–sure means a lot when it comes to finishing off games.
“When we have the lead, I’m not worried, and Percy’s not worried about bringing him in and shutting the door,” said Williams of the trust the coaching staff has in Voelker. “I had him last year in Yuba and he was really, really helpful for us. He has a big arm, and he knows how to use his pitches in certain counts. So if he keeps on doing that, that’s our back-end guy. That’s our guy.”
Voelker has been “the guy” 13 times this season–the only pitcher in the Pioneer League with double-digit saves so far. He’s been used as a closer sporadically throughout his career, and said he enjoys knowing that if the game’s close at the end, he’ll be the one getting the ball.
“This is the first time it’s been kind of mine the whole time, which has been nice. I think that’s been super helpful,” Voelker admitted. “Closing is definitely my favorite thing to do. I love the high-leverage. For me it’s easier to pitch in those situations because I like to be amped up and everything. You don’t have to amp yourself up in those situations.”
Voelker has leaned on a solid mid-90’s fastball, along with a cutter and sweeper, plus a curveball he developed during the offseason. He’s started incorporating that curveball more often recently to broaden his repertoire and give hitters another offering to worry about. Williams considers it a valuable “back pocket pitch” for Voelker, allowing him to steal a strike early in the count or get a batter to chase for a punchout.
The strikeout numbers have spiked for Voelker this season, recording 54 K’s in 34.1 innings pitched. He’s been at his best the past two weeks, giving up zero runs over his last 5.1 innings, allowing just five baserunners with 10 strikeouts in that span.
After playing for three different teams in both 2024 and 2025, Voelker has only pitched for Long Beach in 2026. His career has been a winding road, taking him from coast to Coast, and like most ballplayers, he hopes the journey will eventually land him in the big leagues.
“I’m enjoying the ride for sure, but the goal is definitely to play in the MLB one day and get picked up sooner than later,” Voelker said. “But I mean, I love the game, so I’m not going to stop playing anytime soon. That definitely helps and makes it easier when it’s a long journey like this, but the goal is to play in the MLB for sure.”
Voelker and the Coast have a 47-13 overall record in their inaugural season and are now on a two-week road trip. They’ll be back in Long Beach on Aug. 11 against Yuba-Sutter.
