Oakland University in Michigan is gaining attention for more than one reason. The men’s basketball team recently upset Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but the Golden Grizzlies are also excelling on the baseball field. In a Horizon League matchup against Northern Kentucky, Oakland’s left fielder, John Lauinger, made an exceptional play during the fourth inning. Northern Kentucky’s Colton Kucera hit a deep drive to left-center field, but Lauinger managed to get his glove on the ball as it was headed over the fence for a home run. Though Lauinger couldn’t catch it, he caused the ball to bounce back into play where center fielder Reggie Bussey made a diving catch on the warning track to secure the out.
The incredible play was captured on Bally Sports Detroit and is being hailed as possibly the best play in college baseball so far this year. But that’s not all – Reggie Bussey has been making spectacular plays with his glove and excelling at bat. He boasts a .313 batting average with an .855 OPS and 26 stolen bases this season. Lauinger is also contributing well at the plate with a .301 average and .876 OPS for the Golden Grizzlies. In the game against Northern Kentucky, Oakland emerged victorious with a score of 7-3, taking two out of three games in their weekend series. With a record of 11-7 in the Horizon League, Oakland (21-18 overall) is now trailing Northern Kentucky (24-15) by just one game in the standings.
In conclusion, Oakland University is making waves both on and off the court with their impressive men’s basketball team and talented baseball players like John Lauinger and Reggie Bussey who have been performing exceptionally well this season.
