ANGELS LOOK LOCALLY; USC'S ETHERTON SHOULDN'T BE AS HARD TO SIGN AS GLAUS.

Byline: PATRICK HIPES College Baseball 

At first glance, when the Angels took USC ace Seth Etherton with the 18th pick in last week's Major League Baseball amateur draft, it was a bit shocking.

True, by the end of USC's national-championship run, Etherton was considered one of college baseball's most polished pitchers. After he beat defending national champion Louisiana State on Thursday in a must-win game in Omaha, Neb., he was 13-3 with an ERA hovering around 3.00 and 182 strikeouts, a Pacific-10 single-season record.

``He could pitch in Double-A right now, today,'' Trojans coach Mike Gillespie said.

Still, the Angels taking a senior with little bargaining power so high in the draft was surprising. It will give Etherton and adviser Craig Landis an extra leg to stand on when negotiations get under way. A closer look, however, reveals the Angels' motivations are not totally without foundation. Etherton was burned in contract negotiations a year ago after St. Louis made him a ninth-round pick and he is eager to navigate an easier path this time around. It will be easier knowing it takes less than a half-hour to get from Edison Field to his parents' home in Dana Point, where he was reared on Angels baseball.

As important is the Troy Glaus phenomenon. The Angels' first pick a year ago held out all summer long, missing out on a full minor-league season. Some think it cost him a spot on the big club this season. Etherton will be much easier to pin down.

``It would make a lot of sense to get him started as soon as possible,'' Angels director of scouting Bob Fontaine Jr. said of Etherton. ``If he were to sign right away, he may start at a level higher.''

Also notable, the Angels realize that Glaus has made headlines this season not only because of his numbers - he had a minor-league-high 19 homers (more than 30 other minor-league teams) at the time of his call-up last week to Triple-A Vancouver - but also because he went to nearby UCLA.

Glaus, UCLA. Etherton, USC. It's not such a bad deal after all.

Second time's the charm: It was just before the 1995 season that a struggling shortstop mired in the depths of the Detroit Tigers organization decided to make a change.

Now, just three years later, Bryan Corey is a major-leaguer. He was recently called up by his new club, the Arizona Diamondbacks, as a pitcher.

``It was the best decision I ever made,'' said Corey, a second-team all-league selection at both Thousand Oaks High and Pierce College before being drafted in the 12th round by the Tigers in 1993. ``Three and a half years later, I'm in the big leagues. It's all happening real fast. I think I'm ready.''

Corey, 24, hit .128 in 180 at bats when he and the Tigers decided he should be getting batters out, not being a batter that got out. By 1996, he was 6-4 with a 1.21 ERA and 34 saves for Single-A Fayetteville, thanks in part to a mean sinker. Last year, he was 3-8 with nine saves at Double-A Jacksonville.

The D'Backs liked what they saw, taking him in the third round of the 1997 expansion draft. At the time of his call-up, he was 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA. In three appearances with the big club, he has allowed four earned runs and six hits in four innings.

``He knows how to pitch,'' Arizona director of minor-league operations Tommy Jones told Baseball America.

Full speed ahead: With the draft complete, the short-season Single-A leagues and rookie leagues will blossom from nothingness to full-roster status for Opening Day II June 16.

First-year players accrued from the draft and free-agent signings will report to two Single-A leagues (New York-Penn League and Northwest League) and two Rookie League teams (Appalachian League and Pioneer League).

TROJANS RETURN

The USC baseball team returns from Omaha, Neb., on two flights Monday. The first arrives at LAX, United Flight 55 via Denver, 9:45 a.m. The second to LAX is United Flight 143 via Chicago, arriving at 10:09 a.m.