Bradley University Athletics

From the Mound to the Skies

Bradley Baseball junior pitcher doubles as a full-time commercial charter pilot

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 3/27/2018 8:55:00 AM

PEORIA, IL - For most NCAA Division I student-athletes, a typical day likely would include a morning lift with teammates, a round of classes, a visit to the athletic training room for ice and tape and a solid, 2-hour practice, or maybe even a little competition. Bradley Baseball junior pitcher Mitch Janssen has a different take on a typical day. In addition to the standard student-athlete schedule, you can add in a round trip flight to New York or any other destination throughout the United States.

Janssen, 20, is a licensed commercial charter pilot who recently purchased his own airplane and is starting his own busines, all while completing his degree in family consumer science and racking up innings on the mound for the Braves. Janssen is simultaneously chasing his dreams of pitching in the Major Leagues and flying jets for Southwest Airlines and he is gaining real-world experience toward both endeavors while pursuing his degree with a 3.4 grade point average.

In his third year on the mound, Janssen has made 27 pitching appearances with a 4-3 record and 7.22 earned run average. While his ERA is a bit elevated, he boasts several notable outings: he started a pair of shutouts as a freshman in 2016, including a combined no-hitter May 3, 2016, and he became a reliable midweek starter for the Braves in 2017. In his most-recent start, Janssen worked the first 5.0 innings in Bradley's 16-1 win March 21 against Chicago State, striking out a career-best nine hitters without allowing a hit through his first 4.2 innings of work. The performance earned him inclusion in Collegiate Baseball's National Players of the Week Monday.

His real story has been written in the air, however. A 3-sport athlete at Princeville (IL) High School, Janssen began training to be a pilot at age 16 and earned his license while still in high school. Having logged more than 1,000 hours of flight time, at age 20, Janssen became the youngest pilot in the world rated to fly the Phenom 100 multi-engine jet. With that notable achievement in his back pocket, Janssen was hired this fall as a full-time pilot for Synergy Flight Center at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, responsible for transporting corporate executives to meetings all across the country.

Wait, his story gets better. Last month he purchased his own plane, a single-engine model, which provides more than just a quick commute to Bloomington. Janssen has used his new plane to start his own business, providing both aerial crop survey services and flight instruction.

To take a look at Janssen's life in the sky, check out the accompanying video feature by Dave Snell.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen: RHP; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

From the Mound to the Skies

Bradley Baseball junior pitcher doubles as a full-time commercial charter pilot

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen