For Baron, Ignorance Was Bliss During Hitting Streak

Brian Baron of UCLA said he wasn’t aware he had a 20-game hitting streak until it was snapped Tuesday when the Bruins beat Cal State Northridge, 12-7, at UCLA.

Baron, formerly of Hart High, hit .337 in 1999 but redshirted last season after knee surgery buried him behind a deep lineup.

“[UCLA] is much like a pro organization,” Baron said. “The guy behind you is as good as the guy in front of you. I got hurt and overlooked with guys like [Chase] Utley, [Garret] Atkins and [Bill] Scott around.”

Utley, Atkins and Scott were drafted and signed after last season, leaving Baron to compete for a job in the outfield.

He entered the Northridge game with a team-best .513 average.

His streak extended to his last game of 1999, making the streak technically 21 games. Atkins holds the school record with a 32-game streak.

Baron walked three times, including once intentionally, and had a sacrifice fly against Northridge.

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Freshman right-hander Jon Bierly of Northridge had season-ending reconstructive elbow surgery. Bierly had a career record of 14-9 with 229 strikeouts at Ventura High.