PREP BASEBALL: MIND GAME : FERGUSON LEARNS NEW APPROACH.

Byline: Heather Gripp Daily News Staff Writer

Don't think, just do it.

Once Chris Ferguson adopted that philosophy, his performance on the baseball field soared. The Simi Valley High senior raised his batting average from .200 last season to more than .300 at the beginning of the week. He was hitting close to .400 a few weeks ago.

``As long as I don't think about it, I'm fine,'' Ferguson said. ``Once the pitch is on the way, I'm not thinking about anything. Thinking will get me in trouble.

``I try to keep away from thinking.''

For someone who seemingly always has baseball on the brain, that's not an easy task. Ferguson, 17, has played the sport since he was 4 years old. He tried other sports such as football, but gave them up when none came close to matching his passion for baseball. When he's not playing baseball, the Las Vegas native is usually watching it or thinking about his favorite players such as Will Clark, Barry Bonds or Nolan Ryan.

With such knowledge of the game, it was easy for the perfectionist to start over-analyzing his play.

``Before, I wasn't hitting well because I'd ground out or strike out and the next time up I'd still be thinking about it,'' Ferguson said. ``Then I learned to forget about it.''

More consistent playing time and working with first-year head coach Joe Gordon also helped. However, even Ferguson admits he's surprised at how much his hitting has improved.

``Yeah, actually I am, to be honest,'' he said. ``I was never a very good hitter until this year. I'd always make contact, but I never had any power or hit for much of an average. This past year, I don't know, I just really started hitting.''

After starting as the Pioneers' No. 9 hitter, he's moved up to the middle of the lineup. His 14 RBI are one behind team leader Brandon Palomerez.

Ferguson's biggest problem in the past was strikeouts. He's cut down on them significantly this season, but hearing the call of strike three can still cause him to revert back to his old mind games.

``He's really hard on himself,'' teammate Eric Peach said. ``Sometimes it's bad. He'll strike out and you can tell he's really upset about it.''

Although Ferguson is one of the Pioneers' quietest players, his attitude on the field was bad enough to get him benched earlier this year. Ferguson said it was one of the best things that could have happened. With his attitude in check and a longing to play defense - his favorite part of the game - Ferguson returned to the lineup at a new position. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound former first baseman quickly adapted to center field. He makes leaping catches at the fence to take away extra-base hits and has made just three errors all season.

``He's made some outstanding plays,'' Gordon said. ``He has a real strong arm. He's real comfortable in the outfield.''

The departure of all but one starter from last season's team gave Ferguson a chance to shine. It also meant a rebuilding season for the Pioneers (6-13, 2-6), whose only league wins are against last-place Agoura.

Ferguson, one of only four Simi Valley players with prior varsity experience, tries not to let the losses get him down and looks forward to continuing his playing career as long as possible. He plans to play for Moorpark College next year.

``It's a little frustrating,'' Ferguson said. ``You're only a senior once and you'd like to go out on a positive note. But as far as I'm concerned, as long as I'm playing baseball, I'm happy.''

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