Savannah Bananas take on Auburn, sell out Plainsman Park
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Whether you were looking for some good baseball or just some fun entertainment, Plainsman Park at Auburn University may have been the place to be Saturday.
The Tigers hosted the Banana Ball All-Stars in an exhibition game but the energy around the stadium certainly didn’t feel like an exhibition. The pre-game party started three hours before the game began but the area was packed the whole time including another sellout at the stadium.
The night included an eagle landing at home plate, choreographed dances, trick plays, several Aubie appearances and much more.
”What they provided for us is an experience our players will take forever, but a real opportunity to absolutely focus on their game. I think our Auburn people and Auburn family had a blast as I was looking around the crowd. This was a huge win for our program.”
Butch Thompson, Auburn baseball coach
Keep reading to see what you might have missed from the big day on the Plains + see how you can watch a full replay of the game online.
Auburn vs. Banana Ball All-Stars
The Banana Ball All-Stars walked away with a victory in extra innings and while there were plenty of competitive juices flowing, the party didn’t stop with an Auburn loss.
“We’ve been preparing all fall, not just for the Bananas, but to play each other and to play games. We’ve been working hard on that, but at the same time we want to go out there and enjoy it and make the moment what it’s supposed to be, and that’s a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity to play those guys. I think we’re really looking forward to enjoying it.”
Lucas Steele, Auburn catcher
Steele hit a home run in the fourth inning of the game, which followed one of the more special moments of the night for Tiger fans.
Former Auburn All-American Sonny DiChiara stepped out of his role as the first-base coach and grabbed a bat. And what followed was what Auburn fans saw so many times inside that same stadium.
“One more swing was left in there. That was awesome. I never hit a single homer like that in pro ball, the right-center low ball like that. It was a funny, full-circle moment. If that’s the last one I ever have on this field in any capacity, that was the best moment ever.”
Sonny DiChiara
Auburn’s season won’t officially start for more than three months but Saturday’s showdown certainly brought some extra energy and excitement to the program—fans and players included.
They showed us what it’s like to have fun in the game again, not take everything so seriously and enjoy every minute we’re out there.
Lucas Steele
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