Zimmerman Gives Spartans Boost at the Plate
5/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Lauren Dantonio
MSUSpartans.com
EAST LANSING - In the world of baseball, the name Jordan Zimmermann is widely known as the starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. However, in East Lansing, Michigan, the name takes on a different meaning. Here, Jordan Zimmerman â€" spelled with one "n" â€" is known as the powerhouse hitter for the Michigan State Spartans.
After playing four years on varsity at Red Mountain (Arizona) High School, Zimmerman was overlooked by recruiters, despite hitting better than .400 each season. Zimmerman attended Mesa Community College in Arizona and helped bring them to the Junior College World Series when he was a freshman. His first year at Mesa Community College, he hit .378 and received an invitation to the 2014 Junior College All-Star Game. It was there that he sparked the attention of the Spartans as well as other big name schools such as Oregon and Utah.
"His offensive ability initially attracted us to him," head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "He has a very mature hitting approach. He has power but he's also a very disciplined hitter. We needed an impact guy to play right away, so we knew that he was a guy that we needed."
After visiting Michigan State's campus, Zimmerman knew that he wanted to make East Lansing his home.
"When I visited here, I got to go to a few football and basketball games. Being around that atmosphere made it a no brainer," Zimmerman said. "Out of the three schools that I had it narrowed down to, Michigan State seemed to have the best potential for me as a player and as a college student. We have a great basketball and football program, which really adds to the college experience. So, to me it was a no brainer to come here."
Since committing, Zimmerman has gotten a taste of the excitement and enthusiasm shown vigorously by MSU fans.
"My favorite part about being a Spartan is that when you go around town everyone is wearing green and white, and in Arizona you don't really get that," Zimmerman explained. "You go around and you might see one person supporting their team. But you go to a restaurant in East Lansing and 50 percent of the people there are wearing green and white. Everyone loves the school and everyone is excited about it, I love that."
As for his favorite memory thus far, Zimmerman said without hesitation, "A personal best memory so far for me would definitely have to be the walk off against Oregon. Back in the fall when I saw our schedule that was big time for me, so when I got that home run at the bottom of the 10th, that was pretty huge."
Coming into the season, Zimmerman was confident that he would adjust from junior college to Big Ten play well.
"For me it wasn't too difficult. I've always had the same process on how I go about my business. I knew I needed to bring the mentality of hard work from junior college to here. I transitioned pretty well," Zimmerman said.
In addition to leading the Spartans to a 33-17 season, Zimmerman leads the Big Ten in hitting (.391), second in total bases (117), third in slugging (.609) and on base percentage (.478), and fifth in hits (75). On the field, he plays with confidence and passion. His work ethic and ability to lead by example has made him popular amongst his teammates and coaches. Zimmerman has certainly contributed greatly to the success of the Spartans thus far. However, he does not let it go to his head.
"I've just done my role. I don't really see myself as a real leader on this team. I'm a role player and I'm here to get on base and do my job," Zimmerman said humbly.
