Brian Baron and Eric Reece of the UCLA baseball team have agreed
to contracts with professional ballclubs.
Baron signed with the Minnesota Twins late Monday night and
Reece signed with Tampa Bay Devil Rays May 24.
Baron, a senior designated hitter, set the UCLA single-season
batting average record this year, hitting .443 to surpass the mark
of .428 established by Don Slaught in 1979. Although the Major
League Baseball Amateur Draft will not be held until June 5, the
Twins were able to sign Baron because they drafted him last year in
the 46th round.
Upon agreeing to terms with Baron, the Twins assigned him to
their high-A class minor league team in Fort Myers, Fla.
“Brian got a good deal,” UCLA Head Coach Gary Adams
said. “It’s a great opportunity. He’s gonna be
able to show he can hit at high-level A, then double-A, triple-A
and the big leagues.”
Last week, Baron was named to the Louisville Slugger and
Baseball Weekly First-Team All-America squads. Baron is also a
semifinalist for both the Rotary Smith Award and Dick Howser
Trophy, two national awards given to top players of the year.
Meanwhile, Reece, a senior first baseman, led the 2001 Bruins in
home runs with 10. He batted .259 with 14 doubles and 44 RBIs.
As a fifth-year senior, Reece was eligible to sign with Tampa
Bay as a free agent. He was assigned to the Devil Rays’
rookie club, the Hudson Valley Renegades.
Brief compiled by Dylan Hernandez, Daily Bruin
Senior Staff.