Troy University Athletics
Jimmy Janicki Named 2025-26 Sun Belt Male Athlete of the Year
10/13/2026 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
ATLANTA — Troy baseball's Jimmy Janicki has been honored as the Sun Belt Conference's Male Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 season the conference announced at its annual Sun Belt Honors Banquet in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The Sun Belt Conference celebrates its student-athletes' achievements each year through its annual awards and honors banquet. With this recognition, Janicki becomes only the second Trojan in history to receive Male Athlete of the Year honors, joining standout football linebacker Carlton Martial, who earned the distinction following the 2022-23 season.
Following an outstanding second year with the Trojans, Janicki finished with a decorated list of accolades:
- Sun Belt Player of the Year
- Second Team All-American (D1Baseball & Perfect Game)
- Third Team All-American (NCBWA)
- ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Second Team
- Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
- Sun Belt Player of the Week (Week 5)
- Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List
- Buster Posey National Catcher of the Week (Week 10)
- Preseason All-Sun Belt Team (UTL)
- Perfect Game Preseason All-Sun Belt Team (C)
- USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp Invitee
Ranked as MLB's fifth-overall prospect and the top catcher in the country, Janicki led the Trojan's offensive attack throughout 2026. Starting 70 games behind the plate, he led the team in batting average (.343), hits (97), at-bats (283), doubles (26), home runs (21), RBIs (87), total bases (188), and slugging percentage (.664). His stellar year also translated to the national leaderboards, where he tied for second in RBIs, placed fifth in hits, doubles, and total bases, and tied for 25th in home runs.
Behind the dish, Janicki threw out 10 attempted base stealers on 41 attempts while posting a .987 fielding percentage.
The Downers Grove, Ill., native anchored one of the nation's most high-powered offenses last year, driving Troy to top-25 national finishes across six offensive categories: hits (4th, 693), doubles (5th, 143), runs (T-12th, 503), walks (16th, 332), hit-by-pitches (T-17th, 118), and home runs (23rd, 97).
In 2026, Janicki and Troy baseball elevated the program to new levels with a historic postseason run to the Men's College World Series. After dropping their opener in the Gainesville Regional as a No. 3 seed, the Trojans powered through four straight elimination games to reach the Super Regional round. In front of a record-setting crowd at Riddle-Pace Field, Troy swept Little Rock in the Trojan Bowl to clinch its first Omaha berth. On the game's biggest stage, Troy picked up a marquee victory over No. 18 Ole Miss before ending its record 71-game campaign against No. 16 West Virginia. The historic season culminated in a No. 6 national ranking, the highest finish in school history.
Full list of 2025-26 Sun Belt Conference Honors:
- Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate Awards - App State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Old Dominion & Southern Miss
- Faculty Member of the Year - Paul Feirstein, Coastal Carolina
- Female Postgraduate Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Sarah Millard, Arkansas State
- Male Postgraduate Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Caemon Scott, Louisiana
- SAAC Community Impact Award - App State
- Female Student-Athlete of the Year - Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
- Male Student-Athlete of the Year - Jimmy Janicki, Troy
- Vic Bubas Cup Winner - South Alabama
