JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: ZERINGUE ISN'T SETTLING FOR LESS.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

STOCKTON - It was by all accounts an audacious goal: Skip three levels to start your professional career at the advanced Single-A California League just a month removed from college and bat .350.

Jon Zeringue first adopted his aim-high philosophy in college. If the early professional returns are any indication, it continues to serve him well.

Going into Tuesday, Zeringue, a second-round pick in this year's draft out of LSU, was batting .355 (49 for 138) with 16 extra-base hits,including three homers, and had a .529 slugging percentage.

To hear him tell it, his ambition to excel directly correlates with the remarkable success he's had since coming to Lancaster.

``My coach in college always used to tell me, `Set yourself some goals. If you tell yourself you can do something enough times you're going to do it,' '' Zeringue recalled.

Zeringue put that philosophy to work earlier this year at LSU, setting a goal to hit .400. Although he didn't achieve that goal, he didn't miss the mark by much. He batted .384 with 12 homers and 57 RBI, earning him co-Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors.

Zeringue, who helped lead the Tigers to their second consecutive College World Series appearance, has been equally valuable to the JetHawks. He joined the team shortly after it lost most of its high-profile talent to midseason promotions.

Going into Tuesday, the first-half champion JetHawks (70-43) were in first place in the second half, 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Inland Empire (25-19) in the Southern Division Standings.

``It's pretty hard to sign a kid out of college and put him in the California League and expect him to perform the way he's performed. It is unusual,'' JetHawks manager Wally Backman said. ``He's really helped us pick up the slack.''

Zeringue attributes his seamless transition to pro ball in part to a loose yet intense clubhouse atmosphere.

``From Day 1 I felt like the guys just accepted me,'' Zeringue said.

Although his projected power hasn't fully materialized - he had hit just one homer through his first 116 at-bats before clubbing two Aug. 4 against Stockton - Zeringue has been remarkably consistent. He has hit safely in 26 of 33 games since arriving at Lancaster. He's been among the team's most productive situational hitters, batting .375 (15 for 40) with runners in scoring position and .400 (6 for 15) with runners in scoring position with two outs.

His only slump - Zeringue was 3 for 27 over a six-game span from July 20-25 - came as a result of a subtle adjustment to his footwork in which he went from a leg kick to a toe tap.

JetHawks hitting coach Eric Fox didn't even notice it until he reviewed Zeringue's swing on video.

``It's amazing how just one small thing like that can throw everything off balance,'' Fox said.

Since scrapping the toe tap, Zeringue has hit safely in 13 of his past 14 games, batting .397 over that stretch.

``I don't know why I was doing it,'' Zeringue said of the toe tape. ``I tried it, but it didn't' work.''

Zeringue said he knew the transition from college to pro ball would require him to make some adjustments. He knew that hitting with wooden bats - even though he prefers them - against better pitching meant he would inevitably experience some failure.

Still, he knew he would hit.

``I didn't expect to be (batting) as high as I am now, but I expected to come in and hit,'' Zeringue said. ``I've hit my whole life, so why not hit now?''

Gideon Rubin [phone]

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com