Baseball America on Tuesday morning released their 2026 NCAA baseball preseason awards and three Gators have earned honors.
Right-handed pitcher Luke McNeillie was earned a spot on Baseball America’s Second Team All-American, infielder Brendan Lawson was placed on the Player of the Year Watch List as a player to keep an eye on throughout the season and the impact he has on the Gators’ roster, and right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson earned a spot on Baseball American’s First Team All-American and was also listed as a player to keep an eye on in 2026.
Luke McNeillie, RHP
McNeille is a 6’3” Junior from Milton, GA who has played both his freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Florida.
In 2025, he started a team-high 28 games, including two SEC starts. Over the course of those 28 games (two starts) he was 5-2 with a 4.82 ERA. Over the course of 52 1/3 innings, he gave up 28 earned runs on 44 hits and 24 walks. He struck out 72 (a career-high) and opposing batters hit just .230 against him.
McNeille ranked fourth on the team in innings pitched and strikeouts. He had a 12.4 K/ 9 rating, with a 4.1 BB/ 9, and a 3.0 SO-to-BB ratio.
He earned 2025 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Over the course of his career (freshman and sophomore with UF) as a whole, he has appeared in a total 54 games (four starts: two in 2024, two in 2025). Over those of those 54 games he accumulated 88 innings pitched in which he is -8 with a 5.73 ERA. Over the course of those 88 innings he has given up 56 earned runs on 77 hits and 45 walks. The now junior Gator has struck out a career 115 batters and opposing batters are hitting a just .241 against him.
Brendan Lawson, INF
Lawson, also 6’3”, is a Sophomore from Toronto, Ontario. He played in 60 of the Gators’ 61 games as a true freshman in 2025. As a utility infielder, he made his way around the infield, playing 36 games at first base, 12 at second base, and 11 at third base, and served as a designated hitter for one game as well.
He had a .960 fielding percentage over 301 defensive attempts, including a .976 percentage across 250 chances at first base. He was also a part of 31 double plays in the field.
At the plate Lawson batted .317/.417/.522, with a .939 OPS. Through 224 at-bats, he hit 14 doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs (three of which were grand slams), driving in 61 RBIs and 48 runs scored. He led the Gators with 33 walks and was tied for second on the team with 23 multi-hit games. He also had eight stolen bases.
In the NCAA tournament on May 31, he became just the third Gator in history to record a five-hit game in the NCAA tournament. He was 5-for-7 with one double, three RBIs, and three runs scored in the Gators’ win over Fairfield.
At the conclusion of the year, he was listed as a 2025 Baseball America First Team Freshman All-American, 2025 2x Second Team Freshman All-American (D1 Baseball, Perfect Game), 2025 SEC All-Freshman Team, 2025 2x Freshman of the Week (Feb. 24, April 21), and a 2025 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll member.
If Lawson picks up where he left off this upcoming season, he’s poised for a big year ahead.
Liam Peterson, RHP
Peterson, the 6’5” righty has quickly become an ace for the Gators and had a few very impressive outings in 2025, including on May 10 when he had shutout No. 1 texas through four innings on the mound, giving up just two hits and two walks. He struck out three in that matchup.
In 2025 as a whole, Peterson, the Palm Harbor Native and Calvary Christian graduate, was 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA through 16 outings (15 starts). He threw 69 1/3 innings, giving up just 33 earned runs on 67 hits and 32 walks. He struck out 96 last season, and opposing hitters hit just .250 against the righty. Over the course of the year, he had a 12.5 K/ 9, 4.2 BB/ 9, and a 3.0 K-to-BB ratio, which ranked 20th nationally. His K/9 ranked fifth in the SEC and was the third highest in season-single program history for the Gators.
Peterson led the Florida roster in wins (8), games started (15), and strikeouts (96).
He earned 2025 CSC Academic All-District and 2025 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Over the course of his first two seasons as a Gator, Peterson is 11-10 with a 5.30 ERA through 34 appearances (31 starts). Over the course of 132 1/3 innings, he has given up just 78 earned runs on 131 hits and 76 walks. He has struck out 173 on his career and opposing hitters are batting just .253 against him.
He is currently ranked as the No. 34 overall player and the No. 8 right-handed pitcher nationally, along with being the No. 8 recruit and the No. 3 right-hander in Florida per Perfect Game.