Ron Maurer kept swinging to college hit streak mark; Saw decade in pros, including Taiwan, but not bigs

Ron Maurer singled early in this April 1990 game for North Carolina and with it, he'd hit safely in 31-straight games, a school record, The North Carolina Daily Tar Heel wrote.

"It was a relief (to break the record), because it's a long streak," Maurer told The Daily Tar Heel afterward. "Things just happened to fall for me. I didn't feel any pressure to break the streak; I just kept swinging."

Maurer's streak ended there, at 31, a number that remains in the North Carolina record books 30 years later.

On the field, Maurer kept swinging afterward from college, on to the pros. His pro career lasted more than a decade, including time hitting in Taiwan. He made AAA, but he never got to hit in the majors.

Maurer's pro career began that year in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 23rd round of the draft out of North Carolina.

At North Carolina, Maurer won first-team all-conference in 1990 and second-team the previous two years.

Maurer played his first pro season at rookie Great Falls. He hit .270 in 62 games. He then made high-A Bakersfield in 1991. He hit seven home runs on the year, his fifth a two-run shot in an August contest.

"It was a good pitch, the fastball he threw me. I just got lucky," Maurer told The San Bernardino County Sun after that game.

He made AA San Antonio in 1992, then AAA Albuquerque in 1993. He played exclusively at Albuquerque in 1994 and 1995, but saw 55 games his first year there and 84 in his second.

To end the 1995 campaign, Maurer played all nine positions in the Sept. 4 contest. His pitching stint resulted in a 1-2-3 inning.

Maurer played at Albuquerque in 1996 and again in 1997. He didn't see Los Angeles.

He then moved to Taiwan for 1998 and 1999. He hit .305 for Sinon over 105 games in 1998 and .264 over 47 games there in 1998. His final pro time came in 2000 at independent Waterbury.

Maurer has since settled in Virginia where he opened RBA South in 2000, helping to prepare young players in college. He continues as owner and director in 2020.

• North Carolina Daily Tar Heel, April 24, 1990: Streaking into the record books
• San Bernardino County Sun, Aug. 11, 1991: Spirit blitzed by Bakersfield

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,391
Made the Majors:1,200-35.4%
Never Made Majors:2,191-64.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 499
10+ Seasons in the Minors:292-X