May 13, 2010 8:42:13 AM

It is one thing to swing a hot bat for a week or two, but to sustain a level of excellence at the plate for three months is NCAA baseball record book material.

This season, Cal State Dominguez Hills junior centerfielder Kevin Pillar collected a hit in 54 straight games to set a Division II record. The streak started February 8 against Concordia (California) and ended May 8 in the finals of California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

Pillar fell just short of the NCAA all-time streak of 60 games, set by Damian Costantino of Salve Regina from 2001-03. Also, Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State hit in 58 straight games in 1987.

At the beginning of the streak, only Pillar and his teammates were aware of his ongoing accomplishment. When he broke the school record of 23 consecutive games with a hit, it was a big story only within the Toros' athletics department.

However, when he extended the hitting streak into the upper 30s, the media and opposition picked up on the story. Through it all, he was able to maintain his focus and kept delivering base hits.

"I never felt any pressure until I got close to the national record," said Pillar, who is hitting .387 with five home runs and 47 RBI heading into the NCAA Division II West Regional that begins Thursday.

He tied and broke the Division II record, held previously by Florida Southern's Nick Diyorio (May 1, 2005-March 25, 2006), during a doubleheader against Cal State Stanislaus on May 1.

There was some drama attached to the record-tying hit, which came in the sixth inning in his final at-bat after having gone 0-for-3 with a fly out and two ground outs. With the pressure on, Pillar doubled to left field.

"It was a big relief," said Pillar, who grew up in West Hills, California, about 40 minutes from Cal State Dominguez Hills campus. "We were playing at home, which made it more special. My family and a couple of friends were at the game."

In the nightcap, Pillar doubled to right field in his first at-bat to set the record. It was fitting that his two signature hits this season were doubles, since he has collected 22 of them this season.

The game was halted to recognize Pillar's accomplishment.

Throughout the odyssey, he experienced several examples of good sportsmanship.

"As the streak got longer, it got more coverage and all the other teams knew about it," said Pillar, who hits fifth in the Toros' lineup. "The players on other teams would talk about it while I was on base. Everyone was nice about it. They congratulated me, wished me luck and told me to keep it going."

Pillar, who is majoring in business, saw the streak come to an end against UC San Diego last Saturday. He went 0-for-2, which included being hit by a pitch and being walked on four pitches in his last at-bat.

His team won the game, 6-3, which softened the blow of the streak ending at 54 games. In the championship game that followed, Pillar had two hits, but the Toros fell, 8-3.

Now that the streak has ended, a sense of normalcy has returned to his life.

"I had my 15 minutes of fame," Pillar said. "I am back to being another guy on the team. That is a good thing. The spotlight is more on our team. I feel like I overshadowed some of the success our team has had this year."

The Toros enter the NCAA tournament with a 40-18 record and have advanced to regional play for the second consecutive season.

"We have to get over the hump and get back to the finals this year," Pillar said.