Troy University Athletics
Johnson's Journal: Janicki's Journey to Trojan Glory
5/19/2026 10:31:00 AM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - A change to his approach in the batter's box has made Troy sophomore catcher Jimmy Janicki even more potent at the plate during what's been a banner season for the 2026 Sun Belt Player of the Year.
"Coach (Ben, assistant coach) Wolgamot has helped me out so much," Janicki said. "Talking mechanics here, I went to a no-stride (swing).Â
"I'm not moving my front leg really at all. I'm just loading the upper half and going. That has helped a lot with timing and just seeing the ball."
A year ago as a freshman, Janicki made 51 starts as Troy's primary third baseman. He hit for a .280 average with 56 hits, 12 doubles, two home runs, 32 RBIs and 21 walks.Â
Despite the success, Janicki believed an adjustment was needed during the preseason.
"I kind of felt like I had to, because I got to the fall (season) and my swing just didn't feel right," Janicki said. "We started trying new things and he (Wolgamot) told me to do no-stride and I went like 3-for-3 or 4-for-4 - something like that (in a fall game). I was like, 'I'm not going to switch … I'm going to stay with this.'"
It's paid off big time.
This season, Janicki has a .353 batting average with a team-high in home runs (17), hits (78), RBIs (70), doubles (21) and runs (51). He leads the Sun Belt Conference in homers and RBIs.
Last week, Janicki was named one of 48 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy by the National College Baseball Writers Association. The annual award goes to the top player in college baseball in memory of the former Florida State All-America shortstop who went on to a stellar career as a Major League Baseball player and manager. He followed it up by being the fourth Trojan to earn Sun Belt Player of the Year Honors on Monday.
Led by Janicki's production, the Trojans are 29-27 overall and 17-13 in league play going into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament this week in Montgomery as the No. 4 seed. The Trojans will play No. 5 seed South Alabama at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at DABOS Park.
Troy won two of three games against ULM on the road this past weekend to end the regular season and has won five of its last six overall.
"In all aspects we're hot," Janicki said of the team's recent play. "Our pitching arms … they're just dominating. Hitting … I mean we just scored 14 runs against UAB (during a 14-5 non-conference road win last week). Not a lot of people do that. We've just got to keep winning in all aspects and I believe we'll be in a good position."
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Learning a new position
As a freshman last year at Troy, Janicki had to make an adjustment from being a catcher to playing third base. With Brooks Bryan entrenched as the starting catcher for his draft year, the Trojans' coaching staff made the position move in order to get Janicki's strong bat in the lineup on a regular basis.
"Mentally, it was really hard, especially at the college level playing a position for the first time," Janicki said. "In high school and travel (baseball) combined, I probably played it no more than two times.Â
"It's definitely not where I wanted to be, but it helped the team because it put my bat in the lineup and I was going to do whatever I could to get on the field. I didn't care where it was; I just wanted to help out the team."
Showing he could handle the duties at third base could prove to be a blessing in future years should Janicki reach the professional level as projected.
"It shows that I can play multiple positions, which is going to help later down the road a lot," Janicki said. "Looking at it like that, it definitely helps."
Being somewhat of a speedster is a bonus as well, especially for a catcher.
"Because I'm 6-4, 225, everybody thinks I would be slow," Janicki said. "But if I hit a double and really have to turn on the jets, I can be fast."
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Dealing with tragedy
Coming from an athletic family, Janicki grew up playing sports with his siblings - older brother Nick and sister Payton, who just completed her senior season as a softball player at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.
"All of us always had a ball in our hand," Janicki said. "After school, we would go outside and play Wiffle Ball, or throw the football around. It was always a ball involved."
Tragedy struck when his brother died at age 21.Â
"Lung failure in the middle of his sleep, so he didn't suffer," Janicki said. "I think it's called pulmonary contusion or something like that.
"He was a really good athlete. He played football and he was really good at track. It affected me a lot. He was 10 years older than me. We were really close and would have gotten even more close as I grew older.Â
"Always having that brotherly figure around and it gets taken away from you … It was a really hard thing to deal with, especially at a young age. Like, I didn't really know how to deal with it, but I had my family around me and that helped a lot."
ÂBeing recruited to Troy
Football was at the top of the list for Janicki during his early high school years at Downers Grove North High School in Illinois.
"I had my heart almost set on football," Janicki said. "I liked it a lot more than baseball. I played linebacker, so I loved hitting people and just being physical.Â
"I had an offer from the University of Illinois to go play (football), but I chose baseball instead. It just seemed like the better route further down the road."
Janicki first got the attention of Troy head baseball coach Skylar Meade by his performance in a Future Games showcase in Georgia, which brings together top prep players from around the country for scouts to watch play.
"Coach Meade gave me a call and said they were interested and wanted to offer," Janicki said. "I had no clue what Troy was. Ever since I was younger, it was my dream to play baseball down South.Â
"I looked up Troy and saw it was in Alabama, so I was like, 'Oh, OK. This is interesting.' Then I look at the history and see really good head coaches and really good assistant coaches, really good records. I went there and took a visit and I loved it."
ÂLeadership qualities
Despite being only in his second year at Troy, Janicki has developed into a modest leader his teammates respect, according to Meade.
"I mean, you're the crème de la crème … you're the king … and he doesn't act that way," Meade said. "He's just a normal baseball dude who loves playing and loves catching. In his own right, he's been an incredible leader for us."
Janicki believes a catcher needs to take charge on the field.
"Especially with the pitchers, you've got to lead those guys," Janicki said. "And with the infield and outfield … it all correlates. You've got to help everybody out and do your part, especially as a catcher."
ÂA complete player
While Janicki gets most of his headlines as a hitter, he knows his defensive role behind the plate is just as important and enjoys the responsibility of handling the pitching staff, along with studying hitters and tendencies of opposing teams.
"A lot goes into that," Janicki said. "Before every game, I always tell Coach Meade where the hitters are in the box, so that way it helps him out in calling the pitches and stuff like that.Â
"You've got to know if that team is stealing a lot of bases, like Louisiana for example. Those guys steal a lot, and we knew that going into the game and we took care of business. I think they maybe got one stolen base (in a three-game series)."
It's likely much of Janicki's leadership qualities came from observing his father, who he considers his most important mentor.
"He's been in construction for a long time," Janicki said. "He went to high school in Wisconsin and moved away when he was 18 to Florida. He started his own construction business from scratch when he was 19 years old and is now in the trucking business.
"He was never a huge athlete, but his work ethic is through the roof. That taught me in sports to always work hard and have that blue collar mentality. Always go into it like it's your job and dominate."
Something Janicki continues to do for the Trojans.
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