By Darius Thigpen

Longwood University

“Man, that’s a tough one,” Janos Briscoe said as he ponders the latest question. Briscoe contemplates which scenario makes him more nervous: facing a left-handed pitcher on a 1-2 count or dealing with his off-field duties? Does the lifestyle as a Division I athlete cause more stress than one of his two highly stressful part-time jobs?

Briscoe (Bowling Green, Ky./Criminal Justice) has a loaded schedule. A junior outfielder who transferred to Longwood from Volunteer State Community College, Briscoe has settled into his schedule since arriving in Farmville in August ahead of his first season with the Lancers. Along with his academic load, he has workouts, practices, and team activities that litter his calendar.

And when he’s not living the life of a student-athlete, he’s living one of a volunteer firefighter and police officer.

It’s not easy, but Briscoe attributes his ability to juggle so much to his mom and his upbringing. Now a 6-2 lefty swinging outfielder, Briscoe grew up a nine-hour car ride west from Longwood’s campus in Bowling Green, Ky., raised primarily by his mother, Leslie.

As a kid, Briscoe played multiple sports, but he never lost sight of his first love: baseball. It’s a sport he shares with his father, Janos, who played baseball at Western Kentucky and played two seasons in the minor leagues in the Texas Rangers system after being drafted in the 34th round of the 1994 MLB Draft. The younger Janos can only remember bits and pieces of his father’s playing days, but those moments certainly had an impact on Briscoe in his formative years.

“I guess baseball is in my gene pool,” Briscoe said with a smile. “I saw baseball one day, started playing it, and I’ve been playing it since I could walk. I’m living out a dream of mine.”

Baseball was certainly a big part of Briscoe’s life as an athlete, but the game had an even bigger impact of his life away from the diamond.

“One of my (high school teammates) had an uncle who worked as a firefighter, and when he was planning on joining his uncle and signing up at the department, he told me to come on out,” Briscoe said. “He just said, ‘Man, come on out, I think you’ll have a lot of fun.’ I started working as a firefighter and since then it’s been going strong — I love it.”

On his teammate’s recommendation, Briscoe signed up to be a volunteer at the Gott Fire Department and has since worked with the Richardsville Fire Department.

“Yes, I’ve run into a burning building a couple times,” Briscoe said. “In the moment you really don’t think about it, but after everything is over and you’re going home the reality sets in. Sometimes the thought occurs that you may not make it out, but while it’s going on you’re just focused on helping whoever needs help.”

Briscoe played baseball and volunteered at the fire department in high school, and when the only offers he received to play college baseball were from a pair of junior colleges, he headed to Volunteer State Community College where he starred in the outfield and earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice. That program also put him touch with the Gallatin Police Department where, after going through a mock interview with the department’s lieutenants and administrators, he was asked to enroll in training to become a reserve police officer.

“I’ve loved it,” Briscoe said of his time as a reserve police officer. “The best part has just been being a human to other people. A lot of people think that police officers get a big head because you put a badge on, but as an officer you just need to be down to earth and treat others like human beings. You should always treat people with the same respect you would want if you were in their situation.”

Briscoe may be a reserve as a firefighter and as a police officer, but he’s expected to have a much different role with the Lancers in 2016 as one of six transfers brought in by second-year head coach Ryan Mau.

Mau, entering 2016 after a 22-34 (9-15 Big South) record in his first season, hopes Briscoe will be a nice addition to the middle of the order and a stalwart in the outfield while making a similar impact in the clubhouse.

“Janos is a great guy to be around and will be a great addition to our team,” Mau said of his right fielder. “He’s developing as a team leader on the field and is a citizen leader off the field.”

As to which is more difficult to take on, the 1-2 count or the burning building, Briscoe gives an answer.

“I’m going to go with the lefty and a 1-2 count,” he said. “Lefties are pretty tough to face.”