Georgia has landed a big bat — and potentially a big arm — out of the transfer portal. Two-way standout Naulivou Lauaki Jr. is leaving Oregon for Athens, giving the defending SEC champions a real weapon for 2027.
Lauaki announced the news on social media Monday, committing just days after teasing a final three of Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M. Winning that battle is a nice portal victory for the Bulldogs, who are coming off an SEC title.
He’s entering the third year of his college career. Oregon’s roster lists him at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds as a right-handed pitcher and infielder. Out of Springville (Utah) High School, Lauaki was regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the state. He didn’t throw in a game across his two seasons with the Ducks, but the plan in Athens is for him to both hit and pitch.
The bat is the headline. Across 41 games and 134 at-bats, Lauaki slashed .321/.370/.687 with 37 RBIs. He racked up 43 hits, drew seven walks and was hit by four pitches, and did his damage with 14 home runs and seven doubles. That .687 slugging mark is the kind of power the Dawgs can build a lineup around — and if the pitching side of his game translates the way Georgia hopes, they’ll have landed one of the more valuable pieces in this portal cycle.
