Oregon Ducks Baseball Suffers Brutal Loss With Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Transferring

The Oregon Ducks baseball team suffered a blow on Tuesday as designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr. entered the transfer portal, per a report from On3's Pete Nakos. According to Nakos, Lauaki is entering the transfer portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag.

oregon ducks transfer portal Naulivou Lauaki Jr. angel laya mark wasikowski big ten super regionals freshman brayden jaksa — Oregon’s Naulivou Lauaki Jr. celebrates his eighth-inning home run with fans during the NCAA Eugene Regional Baseball Tournament game against Yale at PK Park n Eugene May 29, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lauaki Jr. was a key figure in the Oregon lineup throughout his redshirt freshman season after missing 2025 with an undisclosed injury. In 2026, he hit 14 home runs while slashing .321/.370/.687 with a team-high OPS of 1.057.

Lauaki Jr. finished with the second-most strikeouts on the Ducks with 59, but his slugging was a valuable piece in Oregon's offense. Now, Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski will have some production to replace with freshman catcher Brayden Jaksa as the only returning member of what was a dynamic trio of freshmen hitters.

While his bat will certainly be missed by the Ducks, his full potential might never have been reached in Eugene. Oregon's roster lists Lauaki Jr. as an infielder and right hand pitcher, but he was primarily the designated hitter for the Ducks in 2026 without making any collegiate pitching appearances.

Oregon Ducks' Transfer Portal Losses

The Oregon Ducks baseball team reached the Super Regionals for the third time in four years, but that success has not been enough to keep a young core intact. With Lauaki Jr. entering the portal, he becomes the second key freshman to leave the program, joining freshman outfielder Angel Laya.

Lauaki Jr. and Laya both set the program record for home runs by a freshman with 14, but with nearly 100 more at bats than Lauaki Jr., Laya finished the season with 10 more RBIs than his freshman counterpart.

When it comes to the transfer portal, Lauaki and Laya aren't alone as the only departing Ducks.

Right handed pitcher Collin Clarke entered the portal after being moved to the bullpen, finishing the season with an ERA of 4.92 and a 6-3 record.

The MLB Draft Combine recently announced which players will be attending, and Oregon infielders Ryan Cooney and Maddox Molony are both listed as draft-eligible juniors. Right hand pitcher Cal Scolari also accepted an invite to the MLB Combine ahead of the MLB Draft, starting July 11.

Mark Wasikowski After Oregon's Season-Ending Loss

With the Ducks season ending after two losses to Texas in the Austin Super Regional, Wasikowski spoke about the emotions of the loss heightened by Oregon's veteran-led roster.

"I couldn't be more proud of the efforts the senior class has made, and the juniors that have an opportunity. We are, by and large, a homegrown product. We're not a transfer portal school, and these guys are probably very emotional because they've been in this program. Their blood, sweat and tears have been in this program, and when you're that invested, it's harder," Wasikowski said.

With the departure of Lauaki Jr., as well as Laya, that homegrown development becomes a little disrupted for Wasikowski and the Ducks coaching staff. Still, Oregon has 13 commitments in the class of 2026, according to Perfect Game.

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