Florida sophomore pitcher Liam Peterson doesn’t stomp around the mound or scream after a strikeout. His demeanor is calm. But behind that exterior is a competitor who’s spent the past two years learning what it takes to thrive in the SEC. Now, in his second season, he’s turning a corner and showing why he was one of the most highly regarded pitchers in the country.
Peterson arrived in Gainesville in 2023 with plenty of hype. The 6-foot-5 right-hander from Calvary Christian in Clearwater, Florida, had already appeared on MLB draft boards. Instead of going pro straight out of high school, he bet on his development, choosing to attend UF.
“I’ve always liked the University of Florida since I was a little kid, so I was super excited,” Peterson said. “I knew that I wanted to be a part of the program, so when the offer came, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do.”
The jump from dominating high school hitters to facing the stacked lineups of the SEC, though, wasn’t easy. Peterson’s freshman campaign in 2024 was up-and-down. He posted a 3-6 record with a 6.43 ERA across 16 starts. The numbers, on the surface, didn’t shine. Inside the Florida clubhouse, however, coaches and teammates saw signs of what was building.
Peterson knew he had work to do, not just on the mound, but mentally. That’s where the biggest shift came, as over the offseason, he leaned into Florida’s mental performance program, focusing on his composure.
“The biggest takeaway from how I performed in Omaha was the importance of the mental side of baseball,” Peterson said. “I didn’t really think about the mental side. I always thought, ‘Oh, I’m doing something with my mechanics.’”
Then came opening night — Feb. 16, 2025. The coaches handed him the ball to kick off the season. He rewarded it with arguably the best start of his UF career. Over six innings, he struck out 11 Air Force hitters, matching a Florida Opening Day record, and walked just one. He looked in control from the first pitch to his last.
“It was fun,” he said afterward. “I just wanted to pound the zone. That’s it. I didn’t want to beat myself, and I think I stuck to that.”
That outing wasn’t just a win, it was a message. Peterson had turned a page. And in the weeks that followed, he backed it up with consistency, working deeper into games and showing plenty of command.
Despite facing injury, Peterson has been arguably the most consistent starter for the Gators. He has a 3.63 ERA with a 5-3 record, recording 61 strikeouts while only allowing 35 hits in his eight starts.
“For Liam, when he throws a whole bunch of strikes, and he’s aggressive and floods the zone with his stuff, he has a lot of success,” pitching coach David Kopp said.
Now locked into the Gators’ weekend rotation, Peterson is settling into his role. He isn’t out for flash or attention, though that might come, too. He just wants to compete, go deep, and give Florida a shot every time out.
“It’s about being better than I was last time,” he said. “If I do that, the rest will take care of itself.”
