HI NOTES: Dons' Ace on a Leash

MIZZOU @ SAN FRANCISCO

♦ REMINDER: free streaming video of all three games this weekend is available HERE

♦ Ten Series to Watch (Perfect Game)

#43 Missouri at #39 San Francisco: There’s a lot of buzz about the Dons these days, as ace pitcher Kyle Zimmer dazzled observers last weekend with a fastball that touched 98 mph. Oh yeah, the Dons also happen to be a solid overall club, capturing a series win over San Jose State last weekend. Meanwhile, the Tigers played extremely well in a road series at Auburn, setting the stage for what should be a very well played three-game set. PG Pick: San Francisco

♦ San Francisco’s Kyle Zimmer Generates Early Draft Buzz (Baseball America)

A converted corner infielder, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Zimmer threw 92 innings last spring, capped by a four-hit, 11-strikeout shutout of UCLA in regionals to beat Gerrit Cole. Then Zimmer threw 48 more innings in the Cape Cod League, where he ranked as the No. 8 prospect.

So the Dons shut him down for almost the entire fall, and they are slowly building him up this spring. He was on a 40-pitch limit in his season debut, but because he threw so many strikes he was able to go four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out three. The Dons did not let him throw his slider in that one, and he'll throw just a few against Missouri tomorrow, when his pitch count will increase to the 60-65 range.

♦ And apparently the above article wasn't enough to express BA's man-crush on Zimmer:  Kyle Zimmer's Rise Evokes Memories Of Jesse Foppert (Baseball America)

♦ Missouri Baseball heads to San Francisco for three games (Columbia Missourian)

If Missouri hopes to have more success than San Jose did against Zimmer, it might need to bring the same bats it slugged 24 hits with against Auburn last weekend. It could also help if the Tigers' own ace, Eric Anderson (0-1), duplicates his six inning two earned-run performance.

WORD ON THE TWEET

@kylez9113 (Kyle Zimmer): Let's go get one #GoDons #AttackOnEveryPitch

@DatOthaDudeBP11: Awesome view of Alcatraz right outside the hotel. Right next to pier 39 http://pic.twitter.com/v0DDCj4o

@Hunter_Mense: Perfect place to start my street luging career...http://t.co/TPAzm6b2

@jemens20: Not a bad view to wake up to #sanfran #backtowork #MIZ http://t.co/rPNLOujA