SPRINGFIELD — Summer ball has heated up, with current, future and former Ducks playing for various teams around the country.

One of the newest teams is the Springfield Drifters, a squad that plays just east of the Willamette River at the sharply furbished Hamlin Sports Complex. The club has already given opportunities to some Ducks looking to stay fresh over the summer. The expectation is the team will become a popular destination for Oregon baseball players, given its geographical convenience.

For Oregon fans, the Drifters currently have some names to watch. Perhaps the most notable is Dominic Hellman, an 18-year-old third baseman/shortstop with immense power. Standing at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, he has an enormous frame with a tremendous amount of raw power, especially for an infielder.

Hellman showed off that power Monday evening ahead of 4th of July fireworks. He took a hanging curveball and blasted it over the left-center field fence, collecting his first home run of the young summer. The ball went 394 feet and was scorched at 109 mph off the bat.

He also hit an opposite field single in the ninth which helped fuel a dramatic Drifters comeback, as they scored two in the ninth and one in the 10th to win 5-4 in walk-off fashion. It was almost a defensive swing, yet Hellman still managed to hit a rocket to right field.

Fresh out of high school, Hellman is a young hitter who likely still has a lot of adjustments to work through. But to have a teenager with that kind of power who can also play on the left side of the infield is a special thing. With the Ducks likely losing Josh Kasevich and Drew Cowley, they’re going to need infielders next year.

Defensively, Hellman’s future is more of a question mark. He played shortstop in high school, but he’s been the Drifters’ primary third baseman. With his large size, he’s probably not a shortstop long term. He has a strong enough arm to play either position, though his throwing motion is a little funky.

Hellman’s frame and body size are more reminiscent of a typical third baseman than a shortstop, so that’s probably the position he’ll try to refine. With speedy shortstop Omari Daniel committed to Oregon in 2024, he and Hellman could be the Ducks’ future left side of the infield.

Springfield had another Oregon commit in the lineup Monday, with McCabe “Mac” Moyer batting ninth. Moyer has a lighter bat than Hellman, but he showed off his defensive prowess, making multiple running catches in center field. Moyer is six feet and 185 pounds, giving him a relatively skinny frame.

Batting cleanup for the Drifters was Jacob Dodge, a former Oregon commit who’s now committed to UC Santa Barbara. Dodge has a smooth, powerful lefty swing that he utilized to slice a double and hit a leadoff single in the ninth which instigated the rally. But with Jacob Walsh already manning the position at Oregon, it would have been tough for Dodge to find a spot.

Batting sixth was another name Oregon fans might recognize: Taylor Holder. The right-handed outfielder recently entered the transfer portal, as the Ducks have a stacked outfield core, especially considering Owen Diodati and Isaiah Thomas’ recent transfers. Despite being overshadowed by Oregon’s star power in the outfield, Holder is a solid player who does a lot of things right. He’s a clean line-drive hitter who also has a surprising amount of speed. He made one particularly impressive catch in right field, sliding towards center and making a diving grab.

Speaking of Thomas, he coincidentally joined the Drifters Monday after his transfer from Vanderbilt. He was seen in uniform warming up with the team before the game, though he didn’t play. Thomas took all of the 2022 season off for mental health reasons after he publicly criticized the Vanderbilt baseball program for how they treated him. He’s shown an ability to hit for average and power while not drawing many walks. Some reps with the Drifters should help him ease back into playing and be ready to help Oregon in 2023.

Also playing for Springfield is Ducks right-hander Jace Stoffal, who started to settle in as Oregon’s Sunday starter near the end of the season. He didn’t pitch Monday, but he owns a 3.44 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings with the Drifters. Summer ball should help keep him fresh to potentially pitch a full season of innings in 2023.

Oregon’s Christian Ciuffetelli also pitched two innings for Springfield this summer, though he’s not with the team anymore. While some players commit to the team for the whole summer, the Drifters can also act as a place to let local Ducks make a couple appearances before heading elsewhere. Having a local summer team in the Eugene area gives players that flexibility.

It will be interesting to watch how Hellman and the rest of the squad perform as they gear up for next year’s college baseball season.