Gators SS Brendan Lawson Loses Bet as Team USA Wins Hockey Gold Medal

As Team USA celebrated wins over Canada in both men's and women's hockey in gold medal games at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Florida Gators baseball star Brendan Lawson watched in disappointment.

The only Canadian on the team, Lawson saw his home country fall short of the gold medal twice while also losing bragging rights with his teammates. He also lost a bet with pitcher Liam Peterson: loser had to wear the other country's hockey jersey for an entire day.

Lawson paid his portion of the bet on Monday, rocking a Mike Eruzione jersey from Team USA's 1980 Olympic gold medal team for the entire day. Eruzione, of course, was the captain of that "Miracle on Ice" team, which won the country's first gold medal in men's hockey since 1960 after a shocking upset over the Soviet Union and a win over Finland.

"It wasn't great," Lawson told Florida Gators on SI on Wednesday. "But, it was a nice jersey, and Liam won the bet. So, it was ok."

Brendan Lawson dons a Mike Eruzione USA hockey jersey after losing a bet with Liam Peterson. | Liam Peterson, via Instagram (@_liampeterson)

While the bet was all in good fun, Lawson, hailing from Toronto, does not downplay the off-the-field impact of being the lone Canadian on the Gators. It also helps that he is one of the best players in the country and consistently near the top of the 2027 MLB Draft boards, including being Baseball America's No. 1 overall prospect.

"I take a ton of pride in where I'm from," he said. "I feel like every time I kind of take the field here, I'm kind of representing the country a bit. Representing the guys back home, some of the younger players who are coming up and want to come play college baseball."

Lawson's praise is well-warranted, too. As a freshman in 2025, he was second on the Gators with a .317 batting average, second on the team with 14 doubles and was tied for second in the SEC with 10 home runs.

In 2026, he is building off those numbers with a .469 batting average, team-high 19 RBIs and three home runs. Wednesday's performance in the win over FIU may have been his most impressive this season.

Lawson tied his season-high with three hits, including a three-run home run, resulting in a career-high six RBIs. His home run also ended a three-game streak of no home runs for Florida, which had gone 26 1/3 innings since its last long ball.

"I genuinely think he's one of the best hitters in college baseball. He's projected to be 1/1 in 2027 for a reason," infielder Landon Stripling said. "I think he has every single aspect of a hitter that you can ask for. He's got speed, he has power, he's got back the ball skills. He doesn't swing at balls. He's just he's an extremely tough out. Nobody wants to throw it at him."

Adding to the special night was the fact that his mother, who rarely is able to attend games, was in town. She got to see firsthand the support Gator Nation gives Lawson. Every time Lawson goes to bat, a group of fans behind home plate wave the Canadian Flag in a celebration of his heritage.

"She actually went down and sat with them," he said. "So just to give you an idea of how truly nice and welcoming they are, I just can't say enough how much I appreciate it."

Gator fans hold up Canadian flags as Florida's infielder Brendan Lawson (11) comes up to bat against UAB. | Cyndi Chambers/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another aspect of Lawson's game is his competitive nature. Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan compared him to former UF pitcher Alex Faedo because of his different personalities on and off the field.

"I love Brendan Lawson," head coach O'Sullivan said. "He's a kind of quiet, a little bit, but he is a fierce competitor. I mean reminds me of a lot of the big leaders I've had that they were totally different off the field than they are on the field.... Free and easy off the field, but boy, when he puts his cleats on, he's a different competitor."

That competitive nature and his consistent play will be key for the 10th-ranked Gators heading into a crucial weekend series at rival Miami. Sitting at 8-1 to start the season, Florida is hoping its recent success will carry over in its first major test of the 2026 season.

"I'm as confident as ever. And the guys that we have back there, it's a really solid group," Lawson said. "We're going to bring our best stuff down to Miami.