There’s No Doubting USC’s Cirillo Now : College baseball: After three years of playing several roles, the senior has made his mark as a third baseman.

Jeff Cirillo heard the questions and felt the doubt even before the ink was dry on the letter of intent he signed with USC.

Cirillo was a two-time Southern Section 1-A baseball player of the year at Providence High in Burbank, a private school with an enrollment of 320. Few thought he was worthy of a full scholarship to play for USC, a university that had won 11 national championships.

“I heard it so much I started to believe it,” Cirillo said. “That’s one thing I’ve learned: You can’t believe what you hear and read about yourself.”

On a USC team that includes junior outfielder Mark Smith, who is expected to be a first-round draft choice, Cirillo is the top hitter for the third-ranked Trojans, who play host to the NCAA West I Regionals today through Monday at Dedeaux Field.

USC (44-15-1) is seeded first in the six-team double-elimination tournament, which will determine one of the eight participants in the College World Series at Omaha, Neb. The Trojans open against Middle Tennessee State (28-31) today at 3:15 p.m. No. 15 Hawaii (48-16) plays Minnesota (36-24) at 11 a.m., and No. 13 Pepperdine (41-15-1) meets No. 16 Creighton (45-20) at 7:30 p.m.

This will be the fourth regional for Cirillo, a senior third baseman. In 1988 at Fresno, USC was one victory away from advancing to Omaha, but the Trojans were swept in a doubleheader by Fresno State. In 1989, USC was eliminated in two games at Austin, Tex. Last year, the Trojans again were a victory away from reaching the World Series, for the first time since 1978, when they were swept by Louisiana State at Baton Rouge, La.

Cirillo expects the Trojans to benefit from playing at Dedeaux Field, where they are 29-4 this season, and from a change in attitude.

“The last three years, USC could have finished the season 16-40 and we would be saying, ‘We’re the best team at the regional. There’s no way we’re going to lose,’ ” Cirillo said. “This year’s team is on a more even level. We know we haven’t gotten it done the last three years. We haven’t gotten over the hump.”

The same cannot be said of Cirillo, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder who emerged as a professional prospect this season. A starting pitcher, designated hitter and part-time outfielder his first three seasons, Cirillo moved to third base after sophomore catcher Casey Burrill suffered an arm injury before the season and forced USC Coach Mike Gillespie to shuffle his lineup.

Cirillo is batting .378 with seven home runs and 45 runs batted in. His 94 hits are third behind Rich Dauer (108) and Mark McGwire (96) on the Trojans’ single-season list. He is 1-0 with a 1.45 earned-run average in 18 innings as a relief pitcher.

“Jeff is one of the most versatile athletes we’ve had, and during his first three years here, that hurt him to an extent in terms of his professional aspirations,” said Gillespie, who guided the Trojans to their first Pacific 10 Southern Division championship this season. “But I think he’s answered all the questions with his play at third. His stock has gone up.”

Several veteran scouts agree. Despite Cirillo’s 20 errors, they are encouraged by the flashes of brilliance he also has displayed. And they like seeing him do something other than pitching or waiting to hit as the DH.

In his senior year in high school, Cirillo was 10-3, had a 1.43 ERA and struck out 146 batters in 77 innings. He also batted .560 with eight homers.

Still, there were those who questioned whether Cirillo could be successful at college baseball’s highest level.

“When I first got here, I was amazed at the ability of other guys,” Cirillo said. “They weren’t better than me, but their skills were more refined. I started off two for 30 (in the fall) and was thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m ever going to hit.’ ”

Not in his freshman season, anyway. Gillespie used Cirillo exclusively as a pitcher. He was 3-4 with a 7.75 ERA while longing to swing the bat.

Cirillo’s wish was granted the next season after he played in the Alaska Summer League. He was inserted into the lineup as the Trojans’ designated hitter and batted .314 with two homers and 30 RBIs. He also had a 7-6 record and a 4.85 ERA.

Last season, Cirillo was 6-2 with a 3.55 ERA and was named All-Pac-10 as a utility player after batting .316 with six homers and 48 RBIs.

But Cirillo was not one of the seven Trojans selected in the June draft, even though he was USC’s third-leading hitter.

“I was pretty shocked,” Cirillo said. “I went to (Gillespie) before we started working out for this season and said, ‘I know one of the reasons I wasn’t drafted was because I wasn’t playing a position. That’s what I want to do.’ ”

Gillespie said he would honor the request, though he now admits, “We weren’t sure what we were going to do with him.”

Burrill’s injury, five days before the season opener against Cal Poly Pomona, provided the answer.

To keep Burrill in the lineup as a designated hitter, Gillespie moved Jenkins from third base to second and put Cirillo at third.

The shift has worked. Jenkins strengthened the Trojans up the middle. And with Cirillo available for relief, USC deepened its pitching staff.

“At the beginning of the year, we were kind of a subpar type of team,” Cirillo said.

“But we came together. We may not have as much talent as we have had in the past, but we’re more consistent.”

The Trojans will need everything to be working to earn their 18th trip to the World Series. Creighton leads the country with a .358 batting average. West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine has one of the best pitching staffs in the nation, with a 3.14 ERA, and Hawaii displayed good balance in winning the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title.

Middle Tennessee State, which won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, and Minnesota, the Big Ten Conference runner-up, could also provide challenges.

“It’s kind of weird how everything has worked out,” Cirillo said. “I was really upset when I wasn’t drafted last year because it kind of brought back all those old doubts.

“But coming back has helped me and helped the team. I’m not worried about it anymore. I know I can play a position now. All I needed was a chance to prove it.”