Zinn's impressive second season helps SB Cubs to hot streak

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. - One of the biggest draws to Minor League Baseball is to see the stars of tomorrow before they hit it big.

That means you can see a young player figure it out in real time, which could very well be the case for South Bend Cubs lead-off hitter Delvin Zinn.

Whether in the clubhouse or on the field, Zinn has made a point to bring the right attitude to the game.

"The coaches really emphasize going out and having fun, and playing as loose as you can, which I pretty much do every night,” he said during batting practice ahead of Friday's game.

That approach has paid off in the current campaign, his second in Class A with South Bend. But rather than see that as a stagnation in his young career, Zinn focuses on the opportunity.

“I'm trying to take more of a leadership role here," he said. "Show the guys around and the do’s and don’ts. This offseason I really worked hard on my approach, not swinging as stuff outside the zone. It’s showing right now. It’s helping.”

Entering Friday's matchup with the Dayton Dragons, which the Cubs won 6-3 for their 10th victory in 12 games, Zinn boasted a 23-game on-base streak – the latest a two-homer outing on Thursday.

“An out of body experience really," Zinn said of his second longball, a first in his life. "[I'd] never done it, so I was like ‘Oh, we did it!’"

But while the ultimate goal lies beyond South Bend, Zinn knows the only way to reach it is to give everything at Four Winds Field.

“I’m all about the present," he said. "Be where your feet are. Thinking about that only gets you back in a rut, and you’ll be here longer.”

But for Zinn, that's no issue at the moment.

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