COLLEGE BASEBALL / GARY KLEIN : Better Attitude, Better Numbers

Casey Burrill of USC was confident that arm surgery would cure his throwing problems and enable him to resume his career as a catcher, but hardly expected the procedure to make him a better person.

Burrill, a senior from Newhall, had surgery after his sophomore season. Last year, he played first base and was a designated hitter while transfer Bobby Hughes established himself as one of the nation’s best catchers.

Hughes, however, signed a professional contract after leading the Trojans in virtually every offensive category. Coach Mike Gillespie moved the rehabilitated Burrill back behind the plate, and the results have been impressive.

Through 12 games this season, Burrill is playing solid defense and batting a team-high .477--21 for 44. He also has six home runs--one fewer than he hit during his first three seasons.

“Shoulder surgery was a reality check for me,” Burrill said. “All of a sudden, USC saw a better student, a better all-around person who was looking for a future that did not include baseball.

“That attitude has helped me relax this year. I haven’t changed my swing or anything like that. The only thing I’m doing differently from a physical standpoint is throwing without pain.”

USC, ranked 12th by Baseball America, is 5-7 overall but 2-1 in the Pacific 10 Southern Division after a weekend series against fifth-ranked Arizona.

After winning their first conference championship in 13 years in 1991, the Trojans finished last in 1992 with a 13-17 record.

Burrill said USC will contend for a playoff berth in a conference that also includes ninth-ranked Arizona State, 10th-ranked Stanford and 16th-ranked UCLA.

“We’ve got a lot of young players and we’ve struggled a little bit,” Burrill said before the Arizona series. “But I think we’re over the jitters. We’re going to surprise some people.”

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Power trip: Teammates at UC Santa Barbara have taken to calling freshman first baseman Jared Janke “the Bambino.”

Janke, 6 feet 5 and 215 pounds, hit three home runs against Loyola in his first start for the Gauchos, and has five homers in 10 games at the start of this week.

“I think other teams have been testing me, because I’m getting better pitches than I saw last year,” said Janke, who hit seven home runs as a senior at Diamond Bar High. “I’m sure that’s going to change if I keep doing well. I’m just trying to enjoy it while it lasts.”

Janke is also a pitcher for the Gauchos. He earned his first victory in relief against Santa Clara last week.

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Trivia time: What Dodger player hit home runs in his first three at-bats as a college freshman?

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Bearing down: Lou Campanelli’s sudden firing as California’s basketball coach has created an uneasy environment in the Golden Bear athletic department. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Glenn Dickey wrote that sources say longtime baseball Coach Bob Milano is among those who could be next on the administration’s hit list.

Milano, who led the Bears to the College World Series last season, said he does not feel vulnerable, but he is uncomfortable.

“Every coach here that I am close to is on pins and needles,” Milano said. “I’ve been around here for 20 years and this is the first time something like that has happened.”

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Self-sufficient southpaw: Ila Borders, a senior at Whittier Christian High who is believed to be the only female pitcher in the Southern Section, will receive a partial scholarship to Southern California College, a member of the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Borders, a 5-9, 160-pound left-hander, was 3-4 with a 3.53 earned-run average last season. She had 39 strikeouts in 35 innings for Whittier Christian, which competes in the Olympic League with other small private schools.

Julie Croteau, a first baseman who played for Division III St. Mary’s of Maryland from 1989-91, was the last woman to play varsity baseball at the collegiate level.

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Shaping up: Keyaan Cook of Cal State Northridge was excluded from live batting practice and intrasquad games during part of fall workouts because he was unable to run three miles in 22 minutes.

But Cook, 5-10, 185 pounds, got himself into running shape and is off to the fastest start among the 20th-ranked Matadors.

Cook, a junior transfer from Louisiana State who played at Montclair Prep in Van Nuys, is batting a team-high .345 and has a home run and seven RBIs for Northridge (7-0) as a designated hitter.

Cook started part-time at second base for LSU’s 1991 NCCA championship team but got only 32 at-bats last season while playing behind freshman All-American Todd Walker.

Cook said his championship experience with LSU could help Northridge in its quest for its first College World Series appearance.

“The keys are consistency and not making any errors,” Cook said. “Everyone has to be hot, and lucky, at the end of the season.”

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Trivia answer: Cory Snyder homered in his first three at-bats for Brigham Young in 1982. He hit all three homers off Nevada Las Vegas right-hander Joe Boever, who now plays for the Oakland Athletics.

College Baseball Notes

David Newhan, who played at Esperanza High and Cypress College, is batting a team-high .462 for second-ranked Georgia Tech (8-1). Newhan, a first baseman, was named most valuable player of the Olive Garden tournament after leading Georgia Tech to the championship, including a 3-2 victory over Pepperdine in the final. . . . Dan Ricabal of sixth-ranked Cal State Fullerton (4-3) is 2-0 with a 3.79 earned-run average. He has beaten Stanford and third-ranked Texas.

UCLA third baseman Adam Melhuse hit a grand slam and a two-run double against Chapman in the Bruins’ season opener, tying a Jackie Robinson Stadium record for runs batted in during an inning. UCLA (4-0) opens its Pacific 10 Conference schedule Friday against Arizona State. . . . Left-hander Corey Juliano, a senior, is 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA in 21 innings for Chapman (5-6).

Pepperdine freshman Greg Gregory is 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA in 14 1/3 innings. Senior catcher Scott Vollmer is batting .378 for the 18th-ranked Waves (5-5). . . . Shane Bowers and Shawn Hammett of Loyola Marymount (3-6) combined for a shutout against Chapman, Loyola’s first since 1990. . . . Daniel Choi is 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA for Cal State Long Beach (4-5), which won two of three games at Miami last weekend.