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Brian Baron of the UCLA baseball team signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins late Monday night. Baron, a senior outfielder, 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 promptly 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.

Brief compiled by Dylan Hernandez, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.