CORREA LOOKS FOR QUICK HIT AND RUN.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

For Miguel Correa, Single-A baseball is a case of been there, done that.

The JetHawks outfielder played a season-and-a-half for the Atlanta Braves' Durham of the Carolina League, the equivalent of the Single-A California League.

He finished 1996 - his seventh year in the minors - with the Braves' Double-A Southern League affiliate in Greenville, S.C. After signing a free agent contract with the Mariners, Double-A Memphis seemed like the logical destination.

Early this season, that's where he played.

Correa had three hits in 11 at-bats with the Memphis Chicks but was a victim of the numbers game - something much too familiar to Correa, who watched Braves prospects Andruw Jones and Jermaine Dye pass him to reach the majors.

At Memphis, Shane Monahan, Marcus Sturdivant and Scott Smith, who all played for the JetHawks in 1996, form the starting outfield. That left Correa without a spot. When the JetHawks put Luis Tinoco on the seven-day disabled list with an injured right shoulder, Correa was sent down and joined the team last Friday.

``I know I can play over there,'' Correa said. ``I thought I was swinging the bat pretty good.'' The 25-year-old Puerto Rican is hitting well for the JetHawks. He had six hits in his first 12 at-bats before cooling off with an 0-for-5 night in the JetHawks' 14-12 loss to Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night at The Hangar.

``I was very upset. But I accept it and have to work hard every day,'' he said. ``I have a lot of hits here so far.''None was bigger than his ninth-inning solo home run off San Bernardino reliever Frank Thompson to lift the JetHawks to a 4-3 win on Monday night.

``That was great. I knew we needed to at least get someone on base and I hit it out,'' said Correa, who also had a run-scoring double in that game.

``After I hit it I knew it was going over the (right field) fence so I just watched it.''

So for now, the Chicks' loss is the JetHawks' gain, and manager Rick Burleson is not going to let Correa waste away on the bench.

``If he wants to play he has a job here every day,'' Burleson said. ``We don't know when Tinoco's coming back. And right now we can only use (Tinoco) as a DH. That doesn't give us much flexibility.''

Burleson said it was important for Correa not to get a bad attitude because of the demotion. Correa, who agrees, wants to impress the Mariners organization while he's in Lancaster.

``I hope to be here only about 10 days, but I have a chance to play and I'm going to do my best when I'm here,'' Correa said.

Dreifert nearly No. 1: Woody Woodward, the Seattle Mariners vice president of baseball operations, made a visit to Lancaster Municipal Stadium on Wednesday. Woodward told the story of how the Mariners almost passed on shortstop Alex Rodriguez when they had the first pick in the 1993 amateur draft.

Woodward said the Mariners almost selected Wichita State pitcher Darren Dreifort, who has had arm problems throughout his career with the Dodgers. Seattle is glad it went with Rodriguez. He was second in the American League MVP voting last season.