With the mindset that making adjustments is the key to success in professional baseball, left fielder Andrew Lambo approaches each pitch as an opportunity to improve his game.

A 2007 Newbury Park High graduate, Lambo initially committed to Arizona State but was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round (146th overall) of the '07 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

He signed with the Dodgers- a contract, according to reports, that included a $165,000 bonus- and was assigned to the rookie Gulf Coast League Dodgers at Vero Beach, Fla.

Following a sensational first season with the GCL Dodgers in which he finished second in the league in onbase percentage (.440), third in batting average (.343) and tied for fifth in doubles (15), runs scored (38) and total bases (94), Lambo now plays for the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers' affiliate in the Class-A Midwest League.

Lambo was named the GCL's No. 10 prospect by Baseball America and won the Guy Wellman Award as the Dodgers' finest first-year player.

Baseball America gave him "Best Pro Debut," "Best Pure Hitter" and "Best Power Hitter" honors for players in the Dodgers' 2007 draft class.

Last month, before a road game against the Dayton Dragons, Lambo said his development in the Dodgers' system has been aided by a speech given during spring training by Don Mattingly, who has since been hired as L.A.'s hitting coach.

In his speech, Mattingly stressed the need for a hitter to find out what works best in the batter's box and stick with it.

"I really took that to heart," Lambo said. "You may go 3for4 one day and have a great day, and go 0-for-4 the next day. You have to just keep your routine.

"He said that if you have a consistent, steady routine, it's not going to fail. But if you start changing things . . ."

Lambo said he doesn't want to be known as a "one-tool" guy, a player who can only hit home runs or steal bases or play defense, but instead as a "fivetool" athlete, a player who hits for average, power, can run the bases, has arm strength and can field his position.

"I've brought my average up a good amount," Lambo said. "I'm still working, still would like it to be better. We all do. I'm really not worried about that.

"I'm worried now about how my day goes. Did I hit the ball good? What was I doing right? Was I defensively solid? Was I (good) on the base paths? Little things like that are what I'm looking at now. The hitting and everything, it's going to come into play. If you can hit, you can hit."

Lambo is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and bats and throws lefthanded. He will be 20 in August. He is the son of Drew and Venetia Lambo and has an older sister, Brittany.

Born and raised in California, he first attended Cleveland High in Reseda but had some behavior and character issues during his freshman and sophomore years.

Things began to turn around after Lambo moved to Newbury Park in the summer of 2005. At the time, he played for a local American Legion team.

At Newbury Park Lambo began working with head coach Scott Drootin and, with the new beginning, began to mature.

"Scott did a lot for me," Lambo said. "He is one of the reasons I am here right now."

Drootin said his No. 1 goal at the time was to get Lambo on track in the classroom.

"I told him I was more concerned with him as a student than an athlete," Drootin said. "I wanted to make sure he was going to do the right things. I made that very clear to him."

During his two seasons at NPHS, Lambo was twice named Ventura County Player of the Year.

He finished his senior campaign with a .453 batting average, nine home runs, 30 RBI and 36 runs scored. As a pitcher for the Panthers, Lambo had an 8-2 record, 1.63 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings.

Lambo said he's appreciative of the support many people in the Conejo Valley gave him, including those who work at BTO Sports, a motocross gear, parts and accessories company in Thousand Oaks.

"I just want to say to all my friends that I think of them a lot. They're my buddies," Lambo said. "They helped me out a lot when I was in Newbury Park. They were good to me."

This season for the Loons, based at Midland, Mich., through games as of Tuesday, Lambo led the team in batting average (.293), home runs (13), hits (105), doubles (26), RBI (65) and total bases (174).

Lambo represented the Loons as one of the starters in the Midwest League All-Star Game on June 17 at his home field, Dow Diamond.

He said he's enjoying playing his home games at Dow Diamond, which opened last year and can accommodate 7,000 fans.

"It's almost like an A-ball team in Newbury Park in the sense that it's family oriented, how humble it is, how quiet it is," he said. "It kind of brings me home to Newbury."

Drootin has no doubt Lambo will make the major leagues.

"The look in his eyes and his passion," Drootin said, "tells me that not only will he make it, but he'll be a star."