TROY, Ala. — Coming off a historic season that culminated in the program's first College World Series appearance, two Troy baseball players earned national recognition as D1Baseball featured catcher Jimmy Janicki and right-handed pitcher Noah Thigpen on its Top 100 MLB Draft Prospect rankings.
Janicki led the way as D1Baseball's top-ranked catcher and No. 5 overall prospect, while Thigpen earned national recognition as the No. 32 right-handed pitcher and No. 95 overall.
A Downers Grove, Ill., native, Janicki established himself as a lethal dual-threat catcher during his standout 2026 sophomore campaign. Starting behind the plate in 70 games for Troy, he posted a .343 batting average alongside a .664 slugging percentage, racking up 26 doubles, 21 home runs and 87 RBIs. His stats ranked among the nation's elite — tying for second in RBIs, finishing fifth in hits, doubles and total bases, and tying for 25th in home runs.
The third-year backstop earned D1Baseball Second Team All-American status and was named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List. He was essential to Troy's deep postseason run, hitting four home runs in the NCAA Tournament — including two in the Gainesville Regional against Florida and big flies in Omaha against West Virginia and Ole Miss.
Thigpen, a 6-foot-2 right-hander out of Lake Park, Ga., earned a spot in the Top 100 following two standout seasons in the Trojans' pitching staff. In 2026, Thigpen made 24 appearances (five starts) across 59.1 innings, punching out 56 batters while collecting three saves. Over his first two years at Troy, Thigpen has amassed 43 appearances, 103.2 innings pitched, 94 strikeouts and four saves.
Thigpen delivered in high-leverage situations, headlined by 1.2 hitless, scoreless frames with two strikeouts in a 6-1 win over No. 17 Alabama. The righty emerged as a cornerstone of Troy's postseason run, posting 16 strikeouts and allowing just three runs over 13.2 innings in five NCAA Tournament appearances. He capped off his year by matching a season-high five strikeouts in the Trojans' College World Series victory over No. 18 Ole Miss.
The Trojan duo, alongside the rest of the squad, will take center stage tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 30, as Troy hosts its annual Pro Day at Riddle-Pace Field.
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Troy University Dothan Campus
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