ANGELS UPDATE: ERSTAD GOES BACK TO COLLEGE.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

TORONTO - Darin Erstad continues to tear apart opposing pitching, leading the league in batting average (.492), hits (32), multi-hit games (12), and on-base percentage (.548). He went 3 for 5 Thursday, and on the current road trip he's hitting .520 (13 for 25).

So what has gotten into Erstad?

It all started in spring training, when hitting coach Mickey Hatcher sat down with Erstad, who was coming off a miserable season in which he hit .253, more than 40 points below his career average.

Hatcher discovered that Erstad felt the most relaxed at the plate when in college at Nebraska, so Hatcher had Erstad bring in some videotape of his college days.

``We took some things off his college tape to make him relax and put him in good hitting position,'' Hatcher said. ``We did the same thing with Troy (Glaus). He said in college (at UCLA) is when he had his best swing.''

Erstad never felt comfortable at the plate last year, and he kept tinkering with his swing all season.

''He's the type of guy who over-worked and over-analyzed everything,' 'Hatcher said. ``Now it's simple for him.

``He's asked me to watch for certain things in his swing. Even when he goes bad, he's not going to change anything. There are going to be times when it happens, but he knows what he needs to do.''

Manager Mike Scioscia noted that because of injuries to key hitters in the lineup last season, Erstad might have tried to do too much to make up for their absence.

``Not only is his swing where it needs to be, but there are guys around him in the lineup, guys that make everyone around them better,'' Scioscia said, adding that last season was a fluke. ``Last year was really the exception of the type of player he is, not the rule. This is the way the guy can play. This isn't a career-year, this guy's and All-Star. He's back on track.''

ANGELS vs TAMPA BAY

Time: 4:05 p.m., at Tropicana Field

TV/Radio: Channel 9; KLAC-570, XPRS-1090

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (3-0, 2.35 ERA) will go for his fourth consecutive win against Dwight Gooden (1-0, 3.60) and the Devil Rays. Schoeneweis has given up only one run and six hits in his past 17 innings, covering starts against the Blue Jays and White Sox. The Angels scored 32 runs in the four-game series against Toronto, but gave up 41.

- Joe Haakenson

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Box: Angels vs. Tampa Bay (see text)