Conference play finally begins for college baseball. The SEC kicks things off with a bang, with the Tennessee Volunteers taking on the Florida Gators. Both schools have gotten off to strong start, as the Gators are 15-2 and are the seventh ranked team in the country, whereas the Volunteers are 17-0 and are ranked second in the country.

I am a big pitchers guy and love watching the guys who take the ball. This game is must watch baseball, as two of the best players in the entire country go head to head in this matchup.

The Best Pitchers Going Head to Head 

Liam Doyle and Liam Peterson are two of the best pitchers in the entire country. Both have played huge roles in their team’s success and when they take the mound, their team is in the best position to win the game. As good as each offense has been, the pitching matchup might be the best one of the year and certainly the best one of the college season thus far. Let’s take a deeper dive into this pitching preview for tonight’s matchup.

Liam Doyle

Doyle was a standout at Ole Miss in 2024 and has certainly made a name for himself with the Vols in 2025. He’s had a monstrous start to the season, with some very standout performances. He logged his first win as a Volunteer by punching out 11 batters in over five innings of work.

He picked up exactly where he left off against Samford, with a career high 14 strikeouts and put forth a dominant performance against Oklahoma with nine strikeouts in just over four innings of work. Doyle dials in and uses his high velocity fastball to get the job done.

Liam Doyle’s 11 Strikeouts (including 8 in a row).

T 98mph + 🔥 K Struts and Stares. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Vz5pEGsAg4

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 15, 2025

Doyle punched out 17 straight, which helped contribute to a combined no-hitter in the teams last matchup. In 20.1 innings pitched, Doyle has 47 strikeouts and a 0.44 ERA. He has been every bit as dominant and will look to continue his dominant start to the year against a Gators offense who has shown they can rake.

Liam Peterson  

Doyle has been stellar, but so has Liam Peterson. He has logged 21 innings for the Gators this season and has been efficient when he is on the mound. In four starts, he has allowed only two earned runs. In addition, he has compiled 34 strikeouts and has a batting average against of just .164. Needless to say, Peterson has been untouchable when it’s his day to be on the bump.

I think Liam Peterson is probably one of the top five pitchers/pitching prospects in college baseball at this point. Already up to 98 with a full arsenal of pitches, all with dynamic shapes. Tons of strikes. Prototype frame. 2026-eligible. Just nasty. pic.twitter.com/UsQ7zVR3LW

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) February 22, 2025

Peterson also comes with a full arsenal of pitches and has managed to hit 98 MPH with his fastball. He is regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the sport and for good reason.

Everyone has their reason for tuning into a game, but if you are going to watch this game, it needs to be for the pitching, which is the most electric in college right now.

Doyle vs Peterson. Get the popcorn ready.