  The effects of strong color electric fields (SCF) on the baryon production at
RHIC are studied in the framework of HIJING/B\=B (v2.0) model. The particle
species dependence of nuclear modification factors (NMF) are analyzed for Au+Au
collisions at 200A GeV. A doubling of the string tension leading to a
modification of the strangeness suppression according to Schwinger mechanism is
shown to provide an alternate explanation to coalescence models for the
interpretation of the observed baryon and meson production at moderate $p_T$
and results in a predicted enhancement in the (multi)strange (anti)hyperon
production.
