LAKE ELSINORE — A fan entered the Lake Elsinore Diamond long before the gates swung open Thursday. He had hoped to get an autograph from Storm outfielder Darin Erstad.

There was that much expected of a guy who had only three professional games behind him. But Erstad's reputation arrived long before him. Autograph hounds and the mere curious in Lake Elsinore want to know what all the fuss is regarding the Angels' latest wunderkind.

Back home in Jamestown, N.D., they already know.

People in that leg-stretch-and-gas-stop along Interstate 94--midway between Bismarck and Fargo--had never seen such nosebleed heights as in June, when Erstad was the top pick in the baseball draft. This was folk hero territory.

First, he brought them a national football championship as Nebraska's punter and kicker. He followed up by being named an All-American in baseball and was tabbed player of the year by College Sports magazine. Fodder enough for a town of 16,000 people.

Then Erstad was the first player taken in the baseball draft. Such a lofty accomplishment has pushed him past Rick Hieb, heretofore Jamestown High's most illustrious graduate.

Sure, Hieb--Class of '73 and a shuttle astronaut--walked in space. But what's circling the earth compared with circling the bases?

"If you held a vote today, Darin would win," said Larry Ukestad, Jamestown High's principal since 1970. "There is no doubt about it."

Erstad has done nothing to damage the reputation.

In less than a week, Erstad has wowed Angel officials much as he did the folks in Jamestown.

"I went to college hoping to be there three years, then get drafted," Erstad said. "Then I wanted to play in the minor leagues. This is the life I chose. This was the plan."

Erstad won't go any further with that wish list, but it's not too difficult to follow the train of thought.

From his first game with Lake Elsinore, people could see why the Angels used the No. 1 pick in the draft--their first since 1975--to take Erstad.

"The first time up, this pitcher got him looking with a great slider that painted the black," Lake Elsinore pitching coach Howie Gershberg said. "I told Darin, 'They all know you can hit the fastball. They're going to see if you can hit a breaking pitch.' The next time up, the pitcher threw the exact same pitch and Darin lined it for a single. This guy is something special."