Oregon Baseball Transfer Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Commits to SEC Program

Following the Oregon Ducks baseball program’s NCAA Tournament Super Regional appearance in 2026, coach Mark Wasikowski saw some of the Big Ten’s top freshman talent hit the transfer portal.

Among the outgoing transfers was 6-5 slugger Naulivou Lauaki Jr., who announced his next destination on June 29.

Oregon Baseball Transfer Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Finds New Home

oregon ducks baseball naulivou lauaki mark wasikowski angel laya transfer portal sec georgia bulldogs ncaa tournament — Oregon’s Naulivou Lauaki Jr. right, celebrates his ninth-inning home run against Washington State with teammate Drew Smith during day two of the NCAA Eugene Regional Tournament at PK Park n Eugene May 30, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lauaki committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, according to On3. Coming off his redshirt freshman season with the Ducks, the Springville, Utah, native decided to take his talents to the SEC. Lauaki previously revealed on TikTok that he was deciding between the Bulldogs, the Texas A&M Aggies and the Florida Gators.

As a redshirt freshman, Lauaki finished with a .321 batting average, recording 37 RBIs and 14 home runs with a .687 slugging percentage. The Ducks lose their designated hitter, who fans hoped would be a cornerstone piece of their future, while Georgia gains another power hitter.

The Bulldogs come off a trip to the College World Series in 2026, but fell to the National Champion Oklahoma Sooners. The SEC side now brings in Lauaki as a key reinforcement as it looks to take the next step toward winning a title.

Oregon Ducks Wait On Angel Laya Decision

Another outgoing freshman transfer for the Ducks is outfielder Angel Laya. Laya batted .296, with 47 RBIs, 14 home runs and a .538 slugging percentage in 2026.

Similar to Lauaki, Laya is tied to four SEC schools. On3’s Pete Nakos reported that the LSU Tigers, the Texas Longhorns, the Aggies and the Bulldogs are all contenders. Laya could reunite with Lauaki in Georgia and further boost the Bulldogs’ dangerous-looking offense heading into 2027.

Losing one of Lauaki or Laya would’ve been a tough loss for the Ducks after their stellar freshman seasons. Losing both makes Oregon’s future more uncertain, with the young sluggers moving on.

Oregon Baseball’s Future Outlook

In addition to Lauaki and Laya, Oregon lost catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and pitcher Collin Clarke to the TCU Horned Frogs. Wasikowski is expected to bring back pitchers Will Sanford and Miles Gosztola.

Meanwhile, Wasikowski added talent from the transfer portal. He brings in former USC Trojans right-handed pitcher Michael Ebner, former Delta State Statesmen outfielder Tucker Jones, Long Beach State transfer infielder Jake Evans, former Tampa Spartans outfielder Jake Brooks and Vanderbilt Commodores transfer infielder Carter Johnstone.

The Ducks fell short of their quest to make the CWS in 2026, losing to the Texas Longhorns in the Super Regionals. Wasikowski’s team has advanced to the Super Regionals in three of the last four seasons but is still battling to get over the hump and make its first CWS since 1954.

Having a young core with Lauaki and Laya seemed promising for the team’s chances of achieving that goal in the coming season. Instead, Wasikowski and the program pivoted by landing talent via the portal.

They add a player in Johnstone who’s reliable when it comes to getting on base, with an incredible OPS of .966 when he was at Fullerton prior to his Vanderbilt transfer. Oregon also gained pitching depth with Ebner, who recorded 59 strikeouts in three seasons at USC.

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