Bradley University Athletics

Kentucky Series Cancelled, Braves to Attend Janssen Memorial Services

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 3/5/2020 10:09:00 AM

PEORIA, IL – Bradley Baseball's weekend series at Kentucky has been cancelled to allow the Braves the opportunity to attend the funeral services of former teammate Mitch Janssen.

Janssen's memorial services will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Princeville High School gymnasium. Visitation will be 1:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday with a celebration of life beginning Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with a 1-hour visitation prior. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation on behalf of the Bradley Baseball team fundraiser, "WE ARE #VSCANCER."

Bradley (4-6) was to open its series at Kentucky Proud Park with a 3 p.m. game Friday against the Wildcats (7-6), followed by noon games Saturday and Sunday. There are no plans to make up any of the three games in the series. Kentucky has been able to replace the three games with a 6 p.m. ET contest Saturday night against Norfolk State and a noon doubleheader Sunday against Oakland.

Janssen was one of three victims of a small plane crash outside of Lincoln, Ill., Tuesday morning. A 2019 Bradley University graduate with his degree in Family Consumer Science, Janssen was a four-year letterwinner for the Bradley Baseball program from 2016-19. As a senior last season, while teaming with 18 members of the current Bradley team, Janssen earned All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team honors as a starting pitcher. After leading all of NCAA Division I in earned run average for several weeks, he finished the season ranked 25th nationally with a 2.05 ERA, the third-best season ERA by a Bradley pitcher during the metal bat era.

In addition to his numerous baseball awards, Janssen qualified for the Missouri Valley Conference Honor Roll in each of his four years and the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll in seven of his eight semesters.

Janssen created one of the most unique off-field stories in college baseball by moonlighting as a commercial charter jet pilot, basing out of the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington/Normal, during his final two years of college. In 2018 at age 20, Janssen became the youngest pilot in the world rated to fly the Embraer Phenom 100 jet. Since his graduation in May, Janssen was working as a pilot for Air Wisconsin Airlines, a United Express regional carrier.

With the Kentucky series off the books, the Braves will attempt to extend their 3-game winning streak when they visit Mercer for a 3-game set March 13-15. Bradley will continue its spring break trip with four games in Florida March 17-21, before opening its 2020 home schedule March 25 with a 6 p.m. game against Western Illinois at Dozer Park.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen: RHP; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

Kentucky Series Cancelled, Braves to Attend Janssen Memorial Services

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen

Players Mentioned

#21 Mitch Janssen