Voelker, the starting catcher for Campbellsville University's soon-to-be-World-Series-participating team, has discovered a new kind of gold. It's the kind money can't buy.

He and his dad, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's Disease, had planned on making the trip this year to Lewiston, Idaho, as spectators. Now, Voelker can relinquish his stadium seat ticket to his mom and his parents can watch their son play.

"He already knew," Voelker said in a telephone interview on Sunday. "He'd been listening to our games on the Internet."

The Tigers' regional title was a dream come true for the whole team, but as far as dreams go, the victory took on a whole new meaning for the young man from Placerville, Calif.

Voelker describes his dad in affectionate terms. The father and son went to the World Series last year as spectators. Voelker has a cousin who lives near Lewis-Clark State College where the World Series is being hosted and she was able to finagle a couple of seats.

"When we were sitting there last year we talked about me maybe being able to play on the field where all the teams were competing," Voelker said.

"It was a dream come true," said Voelker's dad, Jim. "The way it happened. We had his mom, sister and his grandparents here and we were all giving each other high-fives."

Now the whole family can make the 13-hour drive to Lewiston and take in all the action.

Lou Gehrig's Disease affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Voelker says his dad's mind and personality are as good as ever, but his ability to do most things that require something physical are affected. He walks with the assistance of a cane.

Voelker played high school baseball with now CU assistant baseball coach Jake McKinley. 

After high school Voelker attended Sacramento City Junior College where he redshirted a year and then played two years. He transferred to Clark College in Dubuque, Iowa, and that's when he found out about his dad's disease.

"When I found that out I had a rough couple of months," Voelker said. "I didn't make good enough grades to play, but continued in school, eventually taking a part-time job as a server at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Dubuque.

"When Jake found out I wasn't playing, I got a call and the rest is history."

The university filed for a hardship appeal in an effort to get Voelker another year of eligibility, but so far that effort has failed.

So the region title couldn't have come at a better time.

Jim Voelker delivered bread for Orowheat for 29 years and his mom is a realtor. Growing up, Voelker says, his dad was never his coach, but was always there for him in a positive and assuring way.

"He taught me a lot about attitude and respect for the game," Voelker said of his dad. "He would help a lot at practices, but he never wanted to be the coach."

It wasn't anything for his dad to pitch several hours of individual batting practice before a game.

"He never imposed himself, never said anything unless I said something first," Voelker said. "He could talk to me and make me feel better. He was a big part of the religion portion of my game."

So, when Campbellsville takes the field early Friday morning, Jimmy Voelker will have an entire crew of well-wishers in the stands cheering him and his teammates on.

One of them, his dad, has continued to give him the inspiration to play.

"We went last year and it was enjoyable," Voelker said. "But this year I get to represent Campbellsville University as well as him."

That's the gold money can't buy.