Kansas State, 1996 - Fifth Year
The 2016 campaign will be the fifth at the helm of the Northeastern State baseball program for Travis Janssen. He enters the season with a 104-99 career record leading the RiverHawks.
Janssen has guided Northeastern State to at least 25 victories in each of his first four campaigns, marking the first such occurrence during NSU’s NCAA era (since 1996). The RiverHawks have advanced to the MIAA Championship tournament all three years they have been members of the league, which includes the 2014 squad that made a memorable run to the MIAA Championship semifinals after posting back-to-back wins over the No. 1 seed. NSU has also registered winning records in three of Janssen’s four seasons at the helm, the best four-year stretch for the RiverHawks since 1999-02.
The 2015 campaign saw Northeastern State post a 25-24 record and earn a spot in the MIAA Championship tournament for the third-straight year. No other team in NSU’s NCAA era has made three-consecutive appearances in postseason play. The RiverHawks’ pitching staff shattered the school record for most strikeouts in a single season (350) and posted the lowest team ERA (4.86) and opponent batting average (.277) in NSU’s NCAA era. The team had one all-region performer in second baseman Charles Sims and seven All-MIAA recipients.
The RiverHawks went 26-28 in 2014, which included two-straight victories over the conference champions in the first round of the MIAA Championship. NSU boasted the MIAA Freshman of the Year in pitcher Ryan Helsley and five All-MIAA honorees. Outfielder Cody Robinson was also a consensus All-American after leading the conference in home runs for the second-straight year.
Northeastern State posted a 28-23 record in 2013, and that team registered the most wins in a single season at NSU since 2002 and made the first playoff appearance since 2000. The 2013 squad led the nation in both home runs (69) and home runs per game (1.35), while finishing fourth in slugging percentage (0.511) and in the top 30 in scoring (7.4), runs (376), doubles (104), and doubles per game (2.04).
Janssen’s first squad in 2012 finished with a 25-24 overall record. The 19-win improvement from the year prior to his arrival (6-33) was the third-best turnaround in the NCAA that year.
Janssen has guided players like Kyle Singleton and Robinson, who combined for the three most productive single-season home run campaigns in school history (Robinson had 18 in 2014, both Robinson and Singleton had 16 in 2013). Singleton also recorded 58 RBI in 2013, which was the highest total recorded by an NSU player during the school’s NCAA era.
Helsley became the ninth player in school history to be drafted after the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the fifth round (No. 161 overall) of the 2015 MLB Draft. He was the first player from NSU to ever be selected in one of the first five rounds of the draft. He also was the first MIAA player selected, the second player from the state of Oklahoma taken and the fifth player in all of NCAA Division II to be drafted. He broke the school record for strikeouts in a single season when he fanned 95 batters in 2015.
Janssen has coached 17 all-conference performers, highlighted by consensus All-American and two-time All-MIAA First Team member Cody Robinson. He finished second in the nation with 16 home runs in 2013. Kyle Singleton, an All-MIAA Honorable Mention, also had 16 home runs and led the entire country in home runs per game (0.34).
Five players coached by Janssen have gone on to the professional ranks, including Helsley, Robinson, outfielder Trent Wilkins and pitchers Roldan Ochoa and Trevor Walch.
Janssen came to Tahlequah after spending six seasons (2006-11) as an assistant at Jacksonville State. While at JSU, Janssen’s primary coaching responsibilities were coaching infielders and hitters, while serving as third base coach. The Gamecocks won at least 30 games in each of his six seasons, while making two NCAA regional appearances. The team also won two Ohio Valley Conference championships and had two other OVC runner-up finishes. Jacksonville State also boasted the highest MLB draft pick from the state of Alabama in both 2009 and 2010.
Janssen began his coaching career as a student assistant at Kansas State in 1996. A year later he moved to Butler County (Kansas) Community College and also served as an associate scout for the Florida Marlins. From 1998-01, Janssen was a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Arkansas under legendary coach Norm DeBriyn. He helped lead the Razorbacks to a 42-23 record and NCAA regional berth in 1999 as the team claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season championship and a runner-up finish in the SEC Tournament that year.
He also had coaching stops at Northwestern (La.) State and Hawaii, along with extensive experience coaching summer camps.
A native of Manhattan, Kan., Janssen earned his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University in 1996. He was an All-Region VI choice at Butler County and played his final two seasons at New Mexico State. There, he was a Third Team NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) All-America selection as a junior and hit .401 before a season-ending injury cut short his senior campaign. He also played one year with the Adirondack Lumberjacks in the Northeastern Independent League.
Janssen is married to the former Christy Brown, from Springdale, Arkansas. The couple has three children.
Janssen’s Year-By-Year Record as a collegiate head coach| Year | School | W-L | Postseason |
| 2015 | Northeastern State | 25-24 | MIAA Quarterfinals |
| 2014 | Northeastern State | 26-28 | MIAA Semifinals |
| 2013 | Northeastern State | 28-23 | MIAA Quarterfinals |
| 2012 | Northeastern State | 25-24 | |
THE JANSSEN FILE Head Coach Northeastern State University (2011-P)
Assistant Coach Jacksonville State University (2005-11)
Assistant Coach University of Hawaii (2004-05)
Assistant Coach Northwestern State University of Louisiana (2001-03)
Volunteer Assistant University of Arkansas (1998-01)
Assistant Coach Butler County Community College (1997-98)
Student Assistant Kansas State University (1996-97)
Janssen’s Accolades and Awards43 MIAA Academic Honor Roll honorees
17 All-MIAA performers
5 Former RiverHawks that played professionally
3 ABCA Central Region Gold Glove recipients
3 All-Region performers
3 Appearances in the MIAA Championship
3 MIAA Scholar-Athletes
1 All-American
1 Player Selected in MLB Draft
1 MIAA Freshman of the Year
1 MIAA Academic Excellence award winner
PLAYING EXPERIENCE Adirondack Lumberjacks - Northeastern Independent League
New Mexico State University (1995-96)
Butler County Community College (1993-94)
Manhattan High School (1989-92)
