Ranking among the team leaders in several pitching categories, senior pitcher Matt Goro has led the Gorloks on and off the field.
For the opening week of the season, Goro was named St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 27.
Goro said he tries to stay within his game and be consistent on the mound.
“I have always been a pitcher that has had to rely on movement and pitch location as opposed to velocity,” Goro said. “It’s just about staying true to myself as the type of pitcher that I am, and being consistent with hitting my spots.”
Goro ranks in the top five in the SLIAC in several pitching categories, including ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts. Goro ranks third in the conference with a 1.27 ERA.
Catcher Adam Naliwajko said Goro was a “spot guy” who has great command. He also said Goro is the easiest pitcher he has ever caught.
“I’ll joke with him and say he is the Kyle Hendricks of our staff,” Naliwajko said. “Because he will only top out at about 80 with his fastball, but has so much movement on all of his pitches that he forces weak contact and a lot of strikeouts. He has a plus changeup that he’ll throw consistently to both righties and lefties, and a slider that he’ll mix in a lot as well.”
Josh Fleming said Goro was primarily a pitch-to-contact pitcher since he does not have an above-average fastball.
“He lets them hit the ball because most of the time when they do hit it, it’s going to be a ground ball out,” Fleming said. “He’s one of the most efficient pitchers I’ve ever seen and played with.”
The pitch arsenal for Goro includes a two-seam fastball, circle change and a slider.
Goro said his father was a big influence at a young age since he taught him how to pitch. He also credited head coach Bill Kurich and his pitching coaches for his development as a collegiate pitcher.
“Eric Meyerchick, who was our pitching coach two years ago, taught me how to pick with certain pitches in certain locations and how to approach certain hitters in certain counts,” Goro said. “Jake Harper, our current pitching coach, has been a positive influence as far as the mentality to have when pitching.”
Kurich said Goro is a very tough competitor on the mound and said he has been good throughout his four year career at Webster.
“He doesn’t have an overpowering fastball by any means, but he has great command of all his pitches and he changes speeds,” Kurich said. “He has a knack for making a really good pitch when he needs to. He is a great athlete, fields his position well, and he is a tough guy to score on.”
However, Goro said the team’s defense has made a huge impact in his performance.
“I throw a lot of ground balls, so for them to be solid defensively makes my job a lot easier,” Goro said. “They’ve been awesome, and so have the catchers. When the catchers receive the pitches well, and they’ve been outstanding with that, then I get a lot more strike calls. Which is always a benefit.
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