Angels unhappy with Weaver’s pitch count

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Long Beach State right-hander Jered Weaver, the Anaheim Angels’ first-round pick in Monday’s draft, threw 137 pitches in Friday’s NCAA super-regional loss to Arizona. They were not doing cartwheels about it in the Angels’ front office.

“That’s pretty much at a limit, I would think,” general manager Bill Stoneman said Saturday. “That’s a lot of pitches.”

The Angels, like many teams that draft highly touted college pitchers who are still involved in the playoffs, are in a difficult position. They’re thinking of sinking $7 million or more into Weaver, the 12th pick overall, and they’d like to protect their future investment. But Long Beach State wants to reach the College World Series, and Weaver has the kind of arm that can carry the 49ers there.

Weaver is 15-1 with a 1.65 ERA this year, striking out 201 in 136 1/3 innings, and even if he signs soon after his college season, the Angels want him to take a break before pitching again.