Gators P Liam Peterson Building Confidence After Strong 2025 Debut

Liam Peterson tied a program record with a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 7-0 win over Air Force.

Liam Peterson tied a program record with his career-high 11 strikeouts in Friday's win over Air Force. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrate

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Fresh off a season-opening outing where he tied a program record and set a new career-high, Florida Gators sophomore pitcher Liam Peterson reflected on his mental journey following an up-and-down freshman campaign a year ago.

"I can't speak for every freshman, but I will definitely say I did a lot of thinking last year. I'd say about 80% of that thinking was not helpful at all," Peterson said.

In 63 total innings pitched across 18 appearances (16 starts) as a freshman, Peterson had a 6.43 ERA and allowed 64 hits and 44 walks, leaving room for improvement.

In the Gators' 7-0 over Air Force on Friday, Peterson looked nothing like the inconsistent freshman he was a year ago.

Florida's new Friday starter tied Hunter Barco's program record of 11 strikeouts in a season-opener, which also set a new career-high for Peterson. He allowed no runs and only two hits across six innings pitch, four of which featured multiple strikeouts.

Peterson recorded strikes in 53 of his 74 total pitches.

"You never know what to expect Opening Day, but hopefully starts like this continue for him," UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "Hopefully he shows the maturation and the hard work he's put in."

However, the talent and potential were evident last season despite his struggles.

Peterson recorded 77 strikeouts (fourth on the team) with an 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He was eventually named to the All-SEC Freshmen Team.

Although continuing to develop physically and building off the good and the bad of his 2024 debut season were critical, the mental maturation O'Sullivan mentioned was a focal point for Peterson this past offseason.

"So, kind of one of the bigger things I worked on was my mental side of baseball and not overthinking things or kind of leading me into that downward spiral," Peterson explained.

That downward spiral was non-existent in Friday's win over the Falcons, and even when there were signs of struggle, Peterson regained momentum.

Early in the second inning, Peterson allowed a double with the runner eventually reaching third base with only one out. Rather than sink into the quicksand, the sophomore rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

In the fourth inning, Peterson had thrown six balls in-a-row, leading to a mound visit from O'Sullivan. Again, though, Peterson prevailed with strikeout, and he would go on to pitch two more scoreless innings.

"I think I kind of got rid of those first game jitters, first game nerves. It's obviously great pitching in front of crowd again. So definitely got my adrenaline boosted a lot," Peterson said. "But at the end of the day, I definitely think I handle situations, like that runner at third, especially not overthinking it, or overcooking anything, and letting my heart rate get up.

"I feel like those are the moments you need to slow the game down. I learned that a lot last year."

Gators pitcher Liam Peterson celebrates with catcher Luke Heyman after a strikeout during the team's 7-0 win over Air Force. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

As Florida chases a third-straight College World Series appearance, Peterson's maturation and growth will be critical throughout the season, especially as the Gators' debut a new weekend rotation following the departures of those such as Jac Caglianone and Brandon Neely.

Friday's performance, albeit one of many starts Peterson will make in 2025, was an early indicator of how his sophomore season could go, and the confidence Peterson not only is building for himself, but also for the team around him puts the Gators in a great position early this season.

"I mean, if he can continue to do that and just be able to pound the zone like he did, I mean, he's gonna have a great year, and, honestly, just lead us to what we need to be because he's our guy, and we want him to do that and be successful every weekend," Brody Donay said.

Liam Peterson moved to 1-0 on the year with a career-night in the Florida Gators' season-opener against Air Force. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated