A pair of Gators in RHP Aidan King and INF Brendan Lawson were tabbed Freshman All-Americans, as announced by Perfect Game on Tuesday afternoon. The selection marks King’s second All-American bid as the freshman phenom was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s First Team earlier today. King and Lawson are Florida’s first Freshman All-Americans since Cade Kurland and Cade Fisher collected First Team status back in 2023. The duo marks Florida’s 46th and 47th Freshman All Americans in program history.
“I think Aidan [King] and I think Brendan [Lawson], they don’t get talked about enough,” Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said during the season. “I honestly believe that. I don’t think they get quite the notoriety as some of these other freshmen in our league. We certainly wouldn’t be in this position without both of their contributions.”
SP Aidan King
King set a program record four SEC weekly honors during the 2025 campaign, but the accolades just keep coming as the rookie standout was named to Perfect Game’s Freshman All-American First Team on Tuesday. King led the Orange and Blue with a 2.58 ERA, .213 batting average against, 73.1 innings pitched, and five quality starts. The true freshman posted the lowest ERA by a Gator across a full season since Brady Singer in 2018 (2.55) while working to a 7-2 record, 1.11 WHIP, 9.7 strikeouts per nine, and a 3.4 strikeout to walk ratio. King fanned 79 batters against 23 walks and allowed just three home runs all season.
When the stage got bigger, King got better. Florida needed to go on a long run in the regular season to even clinch the postseason and Florida’s freshman pitcher delivered when it mattered most. King was nearly untouchable across his final five starts of the year, going 3-1 with a 0.94 ERA. He allowed one earned run or fewer in all five outings.
“Truly remarkable,” O’Sullivan said on King at the end of the regular season. “He’s shown time and time again that he’s beyond his years with his maturity, focus, and all those types of things.”
King is the 31st First Team Freshman All American in program history and the 21st of the Kevin O’Sullivan era.
1B Brendan Lawson
Brendan Lawson earned Second Team status at first base according to Perfect Game. Stepping onto campus as the No.1 recruit in Canada, Lawson batted .317 with 10 home runs, 14 doubles, and one triple throughout his rookie campaign. After a team high three grand slams in 2025, Lawson posted 61 RBI, ranking second on the Gators behind Bobby Boser (67). Lawson also ranked second on the Gators in runs scored with 48. The 6’3, Toronto, Ontario native held a .417 on base percentage and was a perfect 8 for 8 on stolen base attempts.
Florida asked a lot of Lawson in 2025. Due to a number of injuries, the freshman had to play three different defensive positions while hitting third in Florida’s batting order in the final stretch of the season. Lawson was one of just two Gators to start 60 games last season.
“Just his composure. The game never speeds up on him. He’s under control,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said on Lawson. “I mean he handles left-handers, he handles, obviously, right-handers and he gives you good at bats. He’s got really good strike-zone management, but he’s been really impressive.”
In the NCAA Tournament, Lawson went 8 for 15 (.533%) at the plate with four RBI, two doubles, five runs scored, and a home run. Lawson also became the third player in Florida program history to record five hits in a NCAA Tournament game vs Fairfield on May 31st.
Florida has a strong core they can build around this offseason with King and Lawson back for the 2026 season.