Oregon Baseball's Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Turns Heads With Nuclear Play

During the 16-6 blowout win against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign, Illinois, redshirt freshman infielder and right-handed pitcher Naulivou Lauaki Jr. crushed one of the longest balls seen this college baseball season.

At the top of the third inning, he went nuclear on a 496-foot three-run home run to left-center field to extend the No. 16 Oregon Ducks' lead to 8-3. Lauki Jr.'s fourth homer of the 2026 season went 114 miles per hour out of Illinois Field.

Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski talks to his team in the dugout as the Oregon Ducks host Lafayette Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

He followed it up with another 471-foot bomb to dead center on 112 miles per hour off the bat in the top of the seventh inning, putting the game out of reach for the Fighting Illini at 13-6.

The 6-5, 265-pound unit is hitting .385 with a team-leading 1.287 on-base plus slugging percentage for the Ducks. Lauki Jr. has only appeared in 17 games in 2026 due to an injury that kept him out of the entire 2025 season.

Moving over now to the designated hitter spot, the future is bright for the power hitter. And he's not the only one on the roster with a clear talent for rounding the bases.

Oregon’s Angel Laya, center, celebrates the Ducks' victory over George Mason Feb. 13, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Freshman Angel Laya, Senior Drew Smith Hit Bombs

Freshman outfielder Angel Laya broke current junior infielder Maddox Molony's freshman program record of 11 home runs on April 12.

Senior infielder and outfielder Drew Smith was named one of 45 players on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, which honors the best player in the sport. The veteran leader has 12 home runs and 42 runs batted in on a .379 batting average in 37 starts this season.

As a team, the Ducks have collected 70 home runs through 37 games. That's within the top-15 most among all college baseball programs entering the second-game stretch of this April 17's weekend series.

Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski, right, congratulates this team after their season-opening win over George Mason at PK Park in Eugene Feb. 13, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Can Oregon Host Fifth Regional in Program History?

The Ducks are looking to receive a "national seed," given to the top-16 teams in the country. Each school that is assigned a national seed is granted hosting rights for the NCAA Tournament's Regionals.

Oregon has hosted four Regionals since the format was created in 1999. It was 2012, 2013, 2021, and 2025 when they did so. As for the Super Regionals, the Ducks have hosted twice in 2012 and 2023. They are looking for their second-ever College World Series appearance, first since 1954.

In the Big Ten Conference standings, Oregon can be found in fourth place with an 11-5 record. They trail only the 13-5 USC Trojans, 12-3 Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the undefeated 18-0 UCLA Bruins.

Oregon Ducks Mark Wasikowski college baseball Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Big Ten NCAA Eugene PK Park NCAA Regional — Oregon pitcher Shane Johnson pitches as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers on March 3, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are the remaining series in conference play for the Ducks after the Illinois series:

Penn State Nittany Lions in Eugene, Oregon
Washington Huskies in Seattle, Washington
UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, California
USC Trojans in Eugene, Oregon

Coach Mark Wasikowski's group is currently 27-10 overall. At home inside PK Park in Eugene, Oregon, the Ducks hold an impressive 17-4 record.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google