BROTHERLY GLOVE WESTLAKE GRADS HAVE FRIENDLY RIVALRY.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

BERKELEY - On one day, Chuck and Shirley Dragicevich wore blue and gold sweatshirts and Cal baseball caps. Their son, freshman Jeff Dragicevich, was the Golden Bears' starting shortstop.

Another day, sitting at Stanford's Sunken Diamond, they wore Cardinal caps and shirts. Their son, junior Scott Dragicevich, is Stanford's starting shortstop.

And when Cal played Stanford in a nonconference series in March?

``I wore green and he wore beige,'' said Shirley, whose sons graduated from Westlake High.

``We've got to get her one of those hats that's split down the middle with red on one side and blue on the other,'' Scott said with a smile. ``And sit her right behind home plate.''

Welcome to the Dragiceviches' world. Brothers - and the closest of friends - playing the same position for bitter rivals on either side of San Francisco Bay while their parents try to cope with dual loyalty.

The boys were close from the beginning. That hasn't changed in spite of their unusual situation, attending schools whose rivalry can be as fierce as USC-UCLA, Michigan-Ohio State and Alabama-Auburn.

When Scott came home for visits during his first two years at Stanford, he was more inclined to hang out with his teen-aged brother than to visit school buddies.

Their parents say they bring out the best in one another.

``It's interesting because Scott is such a quiet kid, and his friends will tell you that he's so quiet,'' Chuck Dragicevich said. ``When he's around Jeff, he turns into a very outgoing, gregarious person.

``You can always tell when they're together, because they're laughing about everything.''

It's all they know.

Whether it's feeding quarter after quarter into a video game or inventing backyard Whiffle ball, basketball or swimming pool contests or any other activity they think of, the boys cherish one another's company.

``I would have my friends at school and would hear their stories of sibling rivalries,'' Scott said. ``Jeff and I never fought. I don't know what that's like. It seems like the older brother always picks on the younger brother. But that's not what it was.''

In fact, Scott was always supportive of Jeff, even if it meant running in a stuffy gymnasium.

Jeff was 10 when he and a 14-year-old boy reached the finals of a free- throw shooting contest in a basketball clinic at Cal Lutheran University, a clinic which Scott also attended.

The coaches running the clinic asked the 150 or so participants to predict the contest winner. Those who went with the loser would have to run laps.

Exactly two picked Jeff to win - Jeff and Scott.

``When the dust had cleared, 148 boys were on the 14-year-old's side. Two guys were on the 10-year-old's side,'' Chuck Dragicevich said. ``... Regardless, (Scott) was going to support (Jeff).

``I wish I could tell you Jeff won the contest. He lost it and they ran. But they won the war. The camaraderie between the boys paid big dividends ever since.''

The boys saw one another often during a visit home in the fall, but school and baseball commitments have kept them on either side of the Bay during the season.

They've maintained contact by telephone after every weekend series. And one of Scott's postgame rituals is logging onto the Internet to check out Jeff's stats on Cal's Web site.

``Scott's always been a very caring person,'' Jeff said. ``He's like my best friend in the world. He inspires me.''

Jeff has made an immediate impact at Cal. He's started 39 games and is hitting .306 with three homers and 16 RBI.

Such was not the case for Scott, who was unable to fulfill expectations the past two years at Stanford before finally emerging from the bench as a junior.

As primarily the fifth hitter in the order, Scott is batting .335 with four homers and 27 RBI while starting each of the 34-12 Cardinal's games.

``He was frustrated, but he stuck with it,'' Jeff said about his older brother. ``He wasn't going to quit.''

Said Chuck Dragicevich, a former swimmer and water polo player at UCLA: ``Baseball is a game of patience and it's a game of dealing with failure.

``And (the boys) learned that early on. It's maybe a lesson that Scott learned over the previous two years and helped him prepare. There are other ways to learn. Unfortunately, that's the way he had to learn.''

Scott, Westlake's Class of 1998 valedictorian and a prized baseball recruit, was given opportunities to play right away for the Cardinal. He started Stanford's openers as a freshman and sophomore. However, he played his way out of coach Mark Marquess' lineup both seasons, hitting just .148 and .136.

``It's been very difficult because (Dragicevich) had to sit for two years,'' Marquess said. ``To Scott's credit, he's worked hard to improve his game.''

A dedicated student, Scott cherished the education Stanford offered and accepted his reserve role for one of the nation's premier baseball programs. He also had become accustomed to succeeding in both academics and athletics. After two years, he was frustrated and vowed to do something about it.

``I think there's always been the confidence that I know I can do well and play well,'' Scott said. ``I wanted to play and look back so I can say, 'The team won and I did something to help.' ''

Stanford is ranked third in the nation by Baseball America. And, finally, Scott will play a key role in Cardinal's quest for a national championship.

``He's better defensively. He's a much better offensive player. He's stronger,'' Marquess said. ``He's waited for his time, he's taken advantage.''

Over at Cal, coach David Esquer had an immediate need for an infield starter, and Jeff responded.

Defense was never an issue; Jeff is an accomplished fielder. However, Esquer was surprised by Jeff's production at the plate.

``Unfortunately, now we expect it,'' Esquer said. ``The surprise is over. Where he's given us stability is defense. There's such an emphasis for us on pitching and defense. And his defense has really stabilized our whole team.''

Esquer is anticipating an even better player in the future.

``This isn't a flash in the pan, it isn't a one-year wonder,'' Esquer said. ``He can keep moving upward as the years go on.''

What happens if one brother hits a screaming line drive to the left side of the infield and the other robs him of a hit with a diving catch?

``I'll just say, 'Yea!,' '' Shirley said. ``Yea, you hit it. Yea, you fielded it.''

Of course, the boys must keep their enthusiasm in check when one succeeds against the other. It's not always easy, though. Scott found it hard not to let out a holler when Jeff came through in the clutch in a March game between the rivals.

``He got the (big) hit when Cal beat us (in March),'' Scott said. ``It was exciting to see him because I'd watched him play hundreds of games but always from the stands.''

Jeff and Scott hit several balls to each other in the six games Cal and Stanford met this season. They always got a kick out of listening to the radio broadcasters describe the Dragicevich to Dragicevich groundouts while watching on tape.

The boys also hit balls where nobody was. The Bears upset the Cardinal twice in last weekend's series in Berkeley. Jeff collected an RBI in each game. When Stanford bounced back for an 8-0 win in the Sunday finale, Scott contributed two doubles.

``I'm glad it's over and we don't have to do this again until next year,'' Chuck Dragicevich said. ``It was difficult because we'd go talk to them after every game. One boy was happy, one boy was sad.''

In the end, the boys shared the glory and pain equally: Jeff's Bears won three times, Scott's Cardinal won three times. That's perfect for their parents.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Stanford's Scott Dragicevich, left, and his brother, Jeff, who plays for Cal, trade caps before last Friday's game in Berkeley.

Ray Chavez/Special to the Daily News

(2) ``Jeff and I never fought. I don't know what that's like. It seems like the older brother always picks on the younger brother. But that's not what it was.'' - Scott Dragicevich, Stanford shortstop

(3) ``Scott's always been a very caring person. He's like my best friend in the world. He inspires me.'' - Jeff Dragicevich, Cal shortstop