Florida right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson may be starting to find his groove. On Friday, March 14, he had 10 strikeouts in six innings of work during a 1-0 win for the Gators over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Peterson also allowed just one hit and two walks during his appearance. He allowed no earned runs as well.
This is the second-straight start where Peterson had double-digit strikeouts. On March 6 against High Point, he had 11 strikeouts in five innings of work.
Peterson also reached a season-high in strikeouts on February 20 when he had 12 against the Kennesaw State Owls.
Peterson and his 2026 Season, MLB Draft Stock
In 25 ⅓ total innings of work this season, Peterson has 44 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks.
His ERA over that stretch is 2.84, and he has allowed an opposing batting average of .141.
Peterson is coming off a 2025 season where he had 96 strikeouts. He is almost halfway to that total after his first start in Southeastern Conference play.
Peterson is a highly-ranked collegiate pitching prospect. According to MLB Pipeline, he is a top 15 2026 MLB Draft prospect. He is the second-highest-ranked collegiate pitching prospect behind Coastal Carolina’s Cam Flukey.
Up next for Florida
The Florida Gators will look to win the weekend series against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, March 14. The game is at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, and the first pitch is at 6:30 p.m. EST.
The series finale between Florida and South Carolina on Sunday, March 15, has been moved to noon.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Florida pitcher Liam Peterson (12) throws during an NCAA baseball game against UAB on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
