JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: JETHAWKS SOARED AT RIGHT TIME.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

It's clear the JetHawks gathered steam in August in their drive for a second straight berth in the California League playoffs.

The most flammable object that lit up the JetHawks and sent them into Game 1 of the playoffs against visiting High Desert tonight is up for contention.

Here are the nominees:

From Aug. 3-5, the JetHawks were exorcised by the visiting Modesto A's in a three-game sweep that dropped them two games behind in the Valley Division wild-card race. Up next was a four-game trip to then-streaking Rancho Cucamonga, while Modesto played four at lowly Bakersfield.

Instead of perhaps falling out of range in the A's rear-view mirror, the JetHawks won three of four at The Epicenter and closed within a game.

``We battled back. Everyone had their heads down low after (the Modesto series) but we knew we had a long ways to go in the season,'' said pitcher Brian Fuentes, who produced eight shutout innings in one of the victories over the Quakes.

Facing a Mavericks club that was riding a nine-game winning streak, the JetHawks dropped the first of four games and trailed in the late innings of each of the next two meetings. One night after Cirilo Cruz's ninth-inning, two-run double completed a 3-2 win, the JetHawks stared at a 7-0 deficit in the eighth inning but dropped a seven-spot on High Desert's bullpen and won it 8-7 in the ninth to trigger High Desert's nine-game slide to end the season.

``Even to the end we always believed in ourselves that we could come back and win these games,'' said first baseman Brendan Kingman, who won the Cal League batting title. ``It's a great feeling.''

In all, the JetHawks beat High Desert six consecutive times down the stretch to foil the Mavericks hopes of gaining the Valley Division's bye. San Jose, which went a league-best 83-57, awaits the winner of the best-of-three series.

``Lancaster played us very well and they deserved to win these games,'' Mavericks manager Don Wakamatsu said.

Double-A Orlando had a habit of plucking the JetHawks' most effective relievers, from Aaron Scheffer and Cam Smith to most recently Allan Westfall.

Enter Kevin Gryboski, who was given the ball in the late innings and recorded six of his eight saves in the final month. He preserved back-to-back victories on Friday and Saturday with 2-1/3 scoreless innings.

``It's nice to see the guy come back and give us some quality pitching,'' said pitching coach Jim Slaton, who watched Gryboski suffer through a miserable 1997 with the JetHawks. ``He's been our guy in the bullpen.''

There were a number of honorable mention performers in what turned out to be a 19-9 August. Pitcher John Thompson won three straight starts after losing five times in his first six outings.

And outfielder Jayson Bass turned it on, hitting seven home runs, driving in 19 and stealing 10 bases in August.

But as outfielder Anton French explains it, the team came together through a somewhat turbulent second half.

``We knew we had a lot of talent and that we'd come together eventually,'' French said. ``We made a commitment to being a better baseball team.''

JetHawks manager Rick Burleson, still dripping with a postgame champagne shower following Sunday's clinching victory over the Mavericks, likes his team's chances to continue its August revival into September but realized the excitement of the moment and the reality that it could be the last one of the season.

``I think they needed to celebrate the way things were going the last two weeks,'' Burleson said. ``We get to play for something, and the experience for these players to get into a playoff situation at this level is so valuable.''

JETHAWKS-MAVERICKS AT A GLANCE

California League Valley Division playoffs

First round

Probable pitching matchups:

Game One: Tonight 7:11 at Lancaster. Mavericks RH John Patterson (8-7, 2.83) vs. JetHawks LH Jordan Zimmerman (0-1, 4.86).

Game Two: Wednesday 7:05 at High Desert. Mavericks RH Brad Penny 14-5, 2.96) vs. JetHawks RH Jose Gonzalez (2-0, 4.24).

Game three: Thursday 7:05 at High Desert (if necessary). Mavericks LH Nick Bierbrodt (8-7, 3.40) vs. JetHawks RH Joel Pineiro (2-0, 7.80).

Records: Mavericks 82-57, won second-half Valley Division title with 44-26 record. JetHawks 78-62, won Valley Division wild-card berth.

Season series: JetHawks 12-8

SERIES MATCHUPS

Pitching: At this level, starting pitchers don't get much better than High Desert's Patterson, Penny and Bierbrodt. All three are bound for Bank One Ballpark and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the near future. Penny led the California League with 207 strikeouts. The JetHawks' most consistent remaining starter, Julio Ayala, has been hampered by a sore shoulder but is available out of the bullpen tonight. Rising star Pineiro has struggled after two outstanding starts in his Cal League debut. Despite a 7.80 ERA the JetHawks have yet to lose one of his starts. The hottest starter is RH John Thompson (3-5, 7.09), who won three consecutive outings after an 0-5 beginning and left Saturday's game with a lead. But Gonzalez is somewhat of a surprising Game Two starter. In the bullpen, the Mavericks lost Tim Grieve to an injury and Joe Verplancke was hit hard in High Desert's nine-game skid to end the regular season. Kevin Gryboski has been the feel-good story of the JetHawks' season. Winless with almost a 10 ERA in 1997, Gryboski has taken control of the closer's role with six saves in August. Geronimo Newton has been a solid set-up reliever.

Edge: Mavericks

Offense: Considering both Jarrod Patterson (.335, 18 HR, 102 RBI) and Kevin Clark (.265, 20 HR, 98 RBI) spent 1997 in independent leagues, the Diamondbacks uncovered two gems. Julius Matos (.301, 60 RBI) might be the league's best-hitting SS. C Rod Barajas (.303, 23 HR, 81 RBI) has been streaky. The JetHawks started slow but developed into the Cal League's most potent hitting team. The league batting champion, Brendan Kingman (.340, 16 HR, 78 RBI) hasn't slumped all season but his playoff status is questionable after banging up his right side in a collision at first base.

Edge: JetHawks, but losing Kingman could devastate.

Defense: Like their bats, the JetHawks' gloves needed some warmer weather to improve. Jason Regan is an underrated defender at third. Vazquez has been spectacular at times, erratic at others. At first, Cruz is improving, albeit slowly. The outfield of Bass, Matt Sachse and Anton French is adequate.

Edge: JetHawks

Overall analysis: If the season's last two weeks are worth anything, the JetHawks will win this series. They thrived in a killer late-season schedule to win three of four at Freeway Division champion Rancho Cucamonga and six of seven against the Mavericks. On Aug. 21, High Desert was sizzling, winning nine straight and closing in on a first-round bye. But two blown leads in losses to the JetHawks started a nine-game slide to end the season. Still, short series are usually won with better starting pitching. In the last seven games with High Desert, the JetHawks lost to Bierbrodt and went scoreless against Penny before pounding the bullpen. They missed Patterson, and facing all three in succession would be difficult to beat two of them.

The pick: Mavericks in three.

- Chris Cocoles

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO First baseman Brendan Kingman, who won the California League batting title, is one reason the JetHawks have reached the playoffs.

Myung J. Chun/Daily News

BOX: JETHAWKS-MAVERICKS AT A GLANCE (See text)