Florida Gators

Taking over on the hill this week in the 2024 Meet the Gators series is freshman left-handed pitcher Niko Janssens of Spring Hill, Fla. He represents another newcomer out of A3 Academy, where he shined as a standout hurler and first baseman for the Trojans.
 
As a Gator, Janssens will suit up in No. 26. He came to the Orange & Blue as the No. 220 overall recruit nationally while being the No. 38 player in Florida, according to Perfect Game.
 
Appearing in both of Florida's fall exhibition games, Janssens totaled two innings of work and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks. He did not allow a run in his lone inning vs. USF on Nov. 10.
 
Janssens transferred to A3 Academy to play under Head Coach Shane Rowland for his senior year, where he was teammates with fellow UF freshman pitcher Joshua Whritenour. While at A3, Janssens's fastball was clocked as high as 95 mph.
 
Excelling as a two-way star during his prep years, Janssens played his junior campaign at Springstead High School under Head Coach David Cazanas. Making 11 appearances on the mound, Janssens finished with a 3-2 record and fanned 41 batters in 24 1/3 innings for 15.2 strikeouts per nine. He allowed just 17 hits to hold opposing hitters to a paltry .179 batting average.
 

An extended look at '24 LHP Niko Janssens… #PGAcademies #NAA @Florida_PG @naaconference @A3_Trojans @GatorsBB signee https://t.co/t7okC1gXx7 pic.twitter.com/vWDk6sxwVy

— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) May 23, 2024

Although expected to serve primarily as a pitcher for Florida, Janssens slashed .400/.545/.538 at Springstead for a 1.083 OPS. He smacked one homer and six doubles across 26 games, tallying 20 RBI and 17 runs.
 
Janssens' high school career started at Hernando High School in 2021. As a freshman, he gained valuable experience on varsity as the Leopards posted a stellar 23-4 record.
 
Also playing for 5 Star Tampa during his prep years, Janssens was named to 16 different all-tournament teams at PG events from 2020-24. He was tabbed PG Preseason First Team All-Region in each of his last two high school campaigns in 2023 and 2024. Janssens also attended the 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase in Phoenix, Ariz., where he went head-to-head against several of his fellow freshmen. 
 
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