After weeks of searching for answers at the plate, Brendan Lawson found them in an unlikely place: P.K. Yonge Developmental School.
Florida’s sophomore shortstop, one of college baseball’s most touted young players, had a rough month of April. The star underclassman started striking out at a much higher clip than he had during the first part of the season. April also saw Lawson battle allergies and a sinus infection that kept him out of three games early in the month.
May 14, before the weekend series against Kentucky baseball, Lawson’s father flew from Toronto to Gainesville to work with his son. They went to the baseball field at P.K. Yonge for batting practice. They got kicked off the field and were sent back to the cages at Condron Family Ballpark because Lawson kept hitting balls onto the softball field.
“When I’m not feeling my best and kind of just need to make a few tweaks, my dad’s the best person to go to,” he said.
The adjustments paid off in a big way.
With the Gators trailing Kentucky by four in their second-to-last conference series and Lawson riding an 0-for-19 clip, the sophomore delivered with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Lawson smoked a double down the left field line that cleared the bases and signaled the end of his cold spell. He also advanced to third on the play and then scored on a passed ball to tie the game at six.
The Gators went on to win the game on a walk-off single by redshirt sophomore centerfielder Kyle Jones, but Lawson wasn’t finished.
The following night, he pummeled his first home run since March 29 against Arkansas. Though the Gators weren’t able to pull out a second-straight comeback win, losing 4-2, Lawson still finished 2-for-4 at the plate.
In the series finale, he sparked UF’s offense in the first inning when he smoked another home run that led the Gators to their first home series win since March 15.
While his bat returned, Lawson also continued to shine defensively.
“I played first for most of the season last year and took most of my reps at third, and then, you know, throughout the spring, they moved me back over to short,” Lawson said. “I think just gaining more confidence over there, just getting reps there every day, and just being able to relax and trust my abilities, that has just helped.”
Despite his bounce-back series, questions remained about the longevity of Lawson’s surge and whether he could continue his strong performance in UF’s final regular-season series against the LSU Tigers. He dispelled all doubt.
It wasn’t as hot a start to the series for Lawson as he went 1-for-4 with a single in the opener, but he got on base three times via walks and being hit by a pitch. Despite his recent struggles, Lawson’s on-base percentage has continued to hover around .500.
In the second game of the series, he showed why his name is among the top prospects for the 2027 MLB Draft by pulverizing a 496-foot home run — his third in four games. It was the second-longest home run in Florida baseball history, trailing only Jac Caglianone’s 516-foot blast in 2024.
Lawson found his way on base three times once again in the 11-1 victory over LSU via a walk and hit by pitch.
In the series finale, he went 1-for-3 with a single and was hit by three pitches. Whether it’s a testament to his hot streak is up for debate, but Lawson was hit by seven pitches through his last seven games.
He also flashed his glove once again, diving to field a ground ball before beating the runner to second base to end the inning. Later, he fielded a ball that ricocheted off sophomore third baseman Ethan Surowiec’s glove and made a long throw to nab the runner at first.
After an April filled with frustration, Lawson has found his swing again at the right time.
He’ll look to continue his strong stretch when the Gators head to Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Alabama for the SEC Baseball Tournament on May 20 to face the winner of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, who clash May 19.
Contact Colton Veres at cveres@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @colton_veres.
Colton Veres is a senior sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator. He is currently the Summer 2026 baseball reporter. In his free time he enjoys watching the Red Sox and spending times with friends and loved ones.
