Naulivou Lauaki Jr. emerging as power threat, potential two-way player
After entering the everyday lineup, DH Naulivou Lauaki Jr. has become a power bat in Oregon's lineup, but he still has goals to achieve on the mound.
The Oregon Ducks have faced adversity this season, but they have positioned themselves to host a regional with a strong finish to the regular season against UCLA and USC. A few weeks ago, the Ducks were spiraling. A pair of losses to Portland and a series loss on the road to Michigan highlighted Oregon's slump offensively.
One of the few bright spots was Naulivou Lauaki Jr. , a redshirt freshman who had seen sparse at-bats during the season. In an effort to mix things up, coach Mark Wasikowski tossed Lauaki into the lineup over veteran slugger Dominic Hellman.
It wasn't just a random decision to shake up the lineup. Wasikowski saw nothing but power from him during batting practice and opted to give him a shot. "Early in the year, he was not in the lineup," Wasikowski said during a press conference on Wednesday.
" Dom Hellman actually was the (Big Ten) player of the week one week. And this kid, Junior, was looking even as good as Dom was in batting practice. I was just like, 'Holy cow, this guy's absolutely killing it.
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