USC transfer Adrian Lopez commits to Oregon baseball

After a successful day of sending Oregon Ducks to the next level, the Ducks made a critical addition through the transfer portal, stealing a bat from a conference rival.

USC first baseman Adrian Lopez announced his commitment to Oregon on Saturday, leaving the Trojans after a big season at the plate. Lopez slashed .304//382/.534 with a .915 OPS and 13 home runs. He also has some versatility and can play around the infield, including at shortstop, and in a corner outfield spot if needed.

Lopez began his collegiate career at Long Beach State before spending the past two seasons with the Trojans. He was a last-minute entrant into the portal, and he fills a big need for an Oregon team that lost plenty of power and production throughout the lineup this offseason.

Now a Duck, Lopez should be a fixture in the top half of the lineup and a consistent bat that the Ducks can build around with their incoming recruiting class and several transfers coming into the program. Oregon could use his versatility as well, since they need to replace each of their infielders after Drew Smith, Maddox Molony, and Ryan Cooney were all drafted, and Brayden Jaksa figures to move to catcher.

Lopez is also the second USC transfer the Ducks have gained this offseason. Right-handed pitcher Michael Ebner also committed to the Ducks and should compete for a rotation spot.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Southern California native only has one season of eligibility remaining. Oregon is building a lineup of transfers and freshmen, which is far from the norm, but necessary given the circumstances. Lopez will be a key part of the Ducks making another run to the NCAA Tournament and beyond next season.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: USC transfer Adrian Lopez commits to Oregon baseball