In just 114 at-bats, redshirt freshman designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr. clubbed 12 home runs for the Ducks, hitting .333 with 29 RBI.
That's impressive, but what's still a relative secret about the talented righthander is that he can throw a 95 mph fastball.
Lauaki didn't enter the Ducks' starting lineup until April, when head coach Mark Wasikowski decided to shake things up after watching him launch balls in batting practice. Immediately he started hitting, blasting three home runs in a series against Illinois.
He redshirted last season and used that time to get busy in the weight room, adding power and pop. At the Big Ten Tournament he launched a ball 118 miles an hour, hitting the wall so hard and so fast he only got a single.
At 6-5, 265, some of his home runs are majestic.
Oregon's redshirt freshman Naulivou Lauaki Jr hit this ball 496 feet.
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) April 17, 2026
He's 6'5 265... What a unit. pic.twitter.com/9b3iqwQVLM
Lauaki is part of a trio of emerging freshmen that make the Ducks a threat in the NCAA Tournament. He combines with outfielder Angel Laya and catcher/outfielder Brayden Jaksa to give Wasikowski a surge of offense heading into the Eugene Regional which starts on Friday at PK Park, field to be revealed this morning at 9 a.m. PT.
Laya's launched 14 homers, hitting .296 with 44 RBI. Hitting .318, Jaksa's chipped in 10 bombs and 32 RBI.
From San Diego, Laya was the No. 12 high school prospect in the country for 2026, 6-3, 206. He got off to a fast start this season, striking for seven hits and four RBI in a series against George Mason in February, including his first two college home runs, hitting .538 in his first weekend of D1 baseball.
At the Big Ten Tournament he lined a 1-0 pitch into the Oregon bullpen to give them a 3-0 lead over host Nebraska, his 14th of the year.
Jaksa sent one into the warehouses in the win over Washington.
First career postseason HR for Brayden Jaksa 💪
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 23, 2026
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/6AzVk0Ymsv
Pitching, defense and home run power are the keys to postseason baseball. These three give the Ducks power throughout the lineup. They've hit 102 homers as a team this season, led by senior third baseman Drew Smith's 15.
While their 3-2 loss in 11 innings to No. 1 UCLA in the conference championship game was disappointing, it shows they can play with anyone. Particularly if these three potent freshman bats stay hot, an unexpected boost for a team with a lot of togetherness and heart.
They've been playing under pressure for the last several weeks, fighting for higher tournament seed while losing a couple of heartbreakers to the Bruins.
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