UAA Communications photo by Jordan Perez
Gators Quartet Named Preseason All-SEC
Thursday, February 5, 2026 | Baseball
Florida placed Liam Peterson and Luke McNeillie on the first team while Brendan Lawson and Aidan King made the second team.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four Florida Gators were named to the 2026 SEC Baseball Preseason All-SEC Team on Thursday as voted on by the league's 16 head coaches.
Florida was represented by juniors Liam Peterson (starting pitcher) and Luke McNeillie (relief pitcher) on the Preseason All-SEC First Team while sophomores Brendan Lawson (third base) and Aidan King (starting pitcher) earned mention as Second Team honorees.
Florida Honors - 2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
SP - Liam Peterson - First Team
RP - Luke McNeillie - First Team
3B - Brendan Lawson - Second Team
SP - Aidan King - Second Team
Deployed as a weekend starter for the second time in as many seasons in 2025, Peterson served as staff ace from start to finish and led the Gators in victories (eight), games started (15) and strikeouts (96). Compiling 69 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.28 ERA, .250 batting average against, 1.43 WHIP and four quality starts while striking out 11 or more batters in three outings. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine ranked fifth in the SEC and 20th nationally. Across 34 career games (31 starts), Peterson has thrown 132 1/3 innings with an 11-10 record, 5.30 ERA, 11.8 strikeouts per nine and a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Likely to be deployed as either a weekend starter or multi-inning relief ace, McNeillie will be turned to early and often in 2026 after making a team-high 28 appearances last season (two starts). Pitching to a 5-2 record, the Milton, Ga. product held opposing hitters to a .230 batting average while working to a 4.82 ERA and one save. By fanning 72 batters against just 24 walks in 52 1/3 frames, McNeillie finished with 9.9 strikeouts per nine and a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. All told, McNeillie has thrown in 54 career games as a Gator including four starts. He carries a .241 batting average against and 115 strikeouts to 45 walks in 88.0 innings into his junior season.
Holding status as Baseball America's top-ranked college player for the 2027 MLB Draft, Lawson is fresh off Freshman All-America honors after starting 60 of 61 games and slashing .317/.417/.522 for a .939 OPS. Slugging 10 homers and 14 doubles, Lawson ranked second on the team in RBI (61), multi-RBI games (15) and multi-hit games (23) while seeing action at first, second and third base. The Canadian sophomore will make the move to the left side of the infield in 2026 as Florida's primary third baseman.
Setting a program record with four SEC weekly honors during his 2025 Freshman All-American campaign, King paced all qualifying SEC pitchers with a 2.58 ERA on top of a .213 batting average against (eighth), 73 1/3 innings pitched (16th) and five quality starts. King posted the lowest ERA by a Gator across a full season since Brady Singer in 2018 (2.55) while delivering a 7-2 record, 1.11 WHIP, 9.7 K/9 and 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Across his last five starts one year ago, he was utterly dominant with a 3-1 record, 0.94 ERA, .192 BAA and 29-to-10 K-to-BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings pitched.
The Gators are currently in week four of preseason practice, with all practices and scrimmages free to attend and open to the public. Florida opens the 2025 regular season at home on Friday, Feb. 14 against Air Force, hosting the Falcons for a three-game series (Feb. 14-16) for the first time in program history. Season tickets and SEC Five-Pack Mini-Plans are currently on sale now.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. LSU (9) – 231
2. Texas (1) – 214
3. Mississippi State (4) – 205
4. Arkansas (2) – 203
5. Auburn – 175
6. Tennessee – 162
7. Florida – 156
8. Vanderbilt – 151
9. Georgia – 133
10. Ole Miss - 110
11. Kentucky – 99
12. Alabama – 87
13. Texas A&M – 86
14. Oklahoma - 84
15. South Carolina – 49
16. Missouri – 31
() – First place votes
2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Baseball Team
First Team
C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn
2B: Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky
OF: Derek Curiel, LSU
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
OF: Henry Ford, Tennessee
DH/Util.: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
SP: Casan Evans, LSU
SP: Liam Peterson, Florida
SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas
RP: Zac Cowan, LSU
RP: Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
RP: Luke McNeillie, Florida
Second Team
C: Chase Fralick, Auburn
C: Carson Tinney, Texas
1B: Levi Clark, Tennessee
1B: Will Furniss, Ole Miss
2B: Ethan Mendoza, Texas
3B: Brendan Lawson, Florida
SS: Steven Milam, LSU
OF: Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Bub Terrell, Auburn
OF: Jake Brown, LSU
DH/Util: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
SP: Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
SP: Aidan King, Florida
RP: Max Grubbs, Texas
RP: Thomas Burns, Texas
RP: Clayton Freshcorn, Texas A&M
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Florida was represented by juniors Liam Peterson (starting pitcher) and Luke McNeillie (relief pitcher) on the Preseason All-SEC First Team while sophomores Brendan Lawson (third base) and Aidan King (starting pitcher) earned mention as Second Team honorees.
Florida Honors - 2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
SP - Liam Peterson - First Team
RP - Luke McNeillie - First Team
3B - Brendan Lawson - Second Team
SP - Aidan King - Second Team
Deployed as a weekend starter for the second time in as many seasons in 2025, Peterson served as staff ace from start to finish and led the Gators in victories (eight), games started (15) and strikeouts (96). Compiling 69 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.28 ERA, .250 batting average against, 1.43 WHIP and four quality starts while striking out 11 or more batters in three outings. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine ranked fifth in the SEC and 20th nationally. Across 34 career games (31 starts), Peterson has thrown 132 1/3 innings with an 11-10 record, 5.30 ERA, 11.8 strikeouts per nine and a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Likely to be deployed as either a weekend starter or multi-inning relief ace, McNeillie will be turned to early and often in 2026 after making a team-high 28 appearances last season (two starts). Pitching to a 5-2 record, the Milton, Ga. product held opposing hitters to a .230 batting average while working to a 4.82 ERA and one save. By fanning 72 batters against just 24 walks in 52 1/3 frames, McNeillie finished with 9.9 strikeouts per nine and a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. All told, McNeillie has thrown in 54 career games as a Gator including four starts. He carries a .241 batting average against and 115 strikeouts to 45 walks in 88.0 innings into his junior season.
Holding status as Baseball America's top-ranked college player for the 2027 MLB Draft, Lawson is fresh off Freshman All-America honors after starting 60 of 61 games and slashing .317/.417/.522 for a .939 OPS. Slugging 10 homers and 14 doubles, Lawson ranked second on the team in RBI (61), multi-RBI games (15) and multi-hit games (23) while seeing action at first, second and third base. The Canadian sophomore will make the move to the left side of the infield in 2026 as Florida's primary third baseman.
Setting a program record with four SEC weekly honors during his 2025 Freshman All-American campaign, King paced all qualifying SEC pitchers with a 2.58 ERA on top of a .213 batting average against (eighth), 73 1/3 innings pitched (16th) and five quality starts. King posted the lowest ERA by a Gator across a full season since Brady Singer in 2018 (2.55) while delivering a 7-2 record, 1.11 WHIP, 9.7 K/9 and 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Across his last five starts one year ago, he was utterly dominant with a 3-1 record, 0.94 ERA, .192 BAA and 29-to-10 K-to-BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings pitched.
The Gators are currently in week four of preseason practice, with all practices and scrimmages free to attend and open to the public. Florida opens the 2025 regular season at home on Friday, Feb. 14 against Air Force, hosting the Falcons for a three-game series (Feb. 14-16) for the first time in program history. Season tickets and SEC Five-Pack Mini-Plans are currently on sale now.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. LSU (9) – 231
2. Texas (1) – 214
3. Mississippi State (4) – 205
4. Arkansas (2) – 203
5. Auburn – 175
6. Tennessee – 162
7. Florida – 156
8. Vanderbilt – 151
9. Georgia – 133
10. Ole Miss - 110
11. Kentucky – 99
12. Alabama – 87
13. Texas A&M – 86
14. Oklahoma - 84
15. South Carolina – 49
16. Missouri – 31
() – First place votes
2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Baseball Team
First Team
C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn
2B: Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky
OF: Derek Curiel, LSU
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
OF: Henry Ford, Tennessee
DH/Util.: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
SP: Casan Evans, LSU
SP: Liam Peterson, Florida
SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas
RP: Zac Cowan, LSU
RP: Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
RP: Luke McNeillie, Florida
Second Team
C: Chase Fralick, Auburn
C: Carson Tinney, Texas
1B: Levi Clark, Tennessee
1B: Will Furniss, Ole Miss
2B: Ethan Mendoza, Texas
3B: Brendan Lawson, Florida
SS: Steven Milam, LSU
OF: Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Bub Terrell, Auburn
OF: Jake Brown, LSU
DH/Util: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
SP: Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
SP: Aidan King, Florida
RP: Max Grubbs, Texas
RP: Thomas Burns, Texas
RP: Clayton Freshcorn, Texas A&M
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballMeet the Gators: The Outfielders
Friday, January 30
Florida Baseball | It's On.
Tuesday, January 20
Florida Baseball | Go Behind-the-Scenes for 2026 Media Day ⚾️
Saturday, January 17
Florida Baseball | A Day in the Life with Cole Stanford
Sunday, December 28
