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

 

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