Given a few more minutes, Frank Allison would have been pushing Sean Barksdale for enshrinement at Cooperstown.

At a minimum.

Allison is the talkative baseball coach at Cardinal O'Hara High, and to put it not so mildly, he's enthralled with the skills, production and, most of all, potential of his 6-foot, 200-pound senior rightfielder.

"What's not to like? " Allison gushed. "He's a 6-foot kid who runs a 4.4 40 and hits the ball, with power, to all fields. He throws well and loves the game and Division I coaches need to get out and see him. "

When you're watching TV or listening to the radio, you know how commercials just keep on comin'? Here's another:

"Sean's the best player in the Catholic League," Allison said. Pause. "The best player in the city. " Pause. "He's the best player we've had at O'Hara in the last 5 years, and we've had some good ones. "

It's only a rumor that Allison is trying to get financial backing so he can produce a Sean Barksdale bobblehead doll, but it's a good rumor, right?

"He never says all those [glowing] things to me," Barksdale said, laughing, "but it's nice to hear that he's saying them. All he says to me is to keep doing what I'm doing. "

Yesterday, at pro-style Richie Ashburn Field at FDR Park in South Philadelphia, across Broad Street from the Wachovia Center and less than 100 yards from an elevated portion of noisy I-95, Barksdale turned in a vintage performance.

As the Lions downed St. Joseph's Prep, 12-8, in a sloppy Catholic South game, he went 3-for-4 with a single, double, three-run homer and four RBI.

The dimensions at Ashburn are 330 down the lines, 375 to the power alleys and 405 to dead center. He powered the ball all over with a grounder to short (booted), the single to center on another grounder, the homer to right-center (about 385 feet) and the double down the leftfield line to the corner.

To punctuate his performance, he made a sliding catch of a sinking liner.

"Ah, that was just a matter of getting a good jump," he downplayed.

And it wasn't easy.

"You really have to pay attention at this field and make sure you follow the ball off the bat," Barksdale said. "With 95 right there, it's impossible to hear the crack. I love this place, though. You always like playing in an outfield with legitimate dimensions and room to roam. It's more like true baseball. "

Barksdale even appreciated the place while batting.

"If you get a home run here, it's a feat. It has to be a shot," he said. "When you're playing at our place or Carroll, you can get cheap home runs.

"Our place is pretty short to right and right-center. I even adjust my swing for home games to try to take advantage. I wasn't doing that today. The homer came on a curve and I just went with it. "

Barksdale is sniffing a .600 batting average and has five homers along with 29 RBI. Why he doesn't have college interest is kinda tricky. He has already signed with West Chester for football, in which he's a talented wideout.

Could someone change his mind about that commitment?

Multiple someones are encouraged to try.

"Baseball was always my favorite, and I've played it the longest," he said. "If some interest came along, I'd have to think about it. And that's not to say I'm down on football because I love that, too. It's just hard to think about maybe not playing baseball again.

"I came into last season off an injury and it never really went the way I was hoping it would. So when I did well in football and people wanted me, I figured I'd better take advantage. But now, I'm back to my old self in baseball, playing the way I always did, and . . . "

Back to Frank Allison.

"I'm calling Temple about Sean," he said. "They have to come see him. And the other D-Is, too. Whoever gets him will be getting a steal. "

O'Hara salted this one away with four runs in the third inning and five in the fourth. Prep starter Matt Leddy, a junior righthander, contributed heavily to his own demise by issuing six walks in those frames.

Backing Barksdale with one RBI apiece on singles were Brian Giacobetti and Harry Duke. Giacobetti and Steve Cook added sacrifice flies. Senior lefty Josh Rickards got the win, but yielded 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Rich Varrasse finished up.

For Prep, Pat McKeever went 3-for-4 with two RBI while Jim Bogan (double), Matt Tiagwad (RBI) and Steve Vassalotti had two hits apiece.

In an oddity, one player from each team - Tiagwad, Cook - picked up hits on hot grounders that struck baserunners.

Barksdale, who lives in Glenolden, boasts a 3.5 grade-point average and intends to major in physical education with designs on becoming a coach.

That might be at West Chester. Might not. Frank Allison is just getting warmed up. *