As the craze surrounding “Banana Ball” – the wonky yet working wonderfully kind of baseball created by the Savannah Bananas – continues to grow, so do the number of stadiums the Banana Ball Championship League is deciding to play in. One of the stadiums announced for the 2026 season is Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi.
While the Bananas themselves will not be in attendance, The Firefighters and the first-year Loco Beach Coconuts will make the league’s inaugural Mississippi Gulf Coast appearance happen on Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, the league announced Thursday night. Landing the sure to be sold-out games was a group effort among the MiLB’s Biloxi Shuckers, whose home ballpark is Keesler Federal, and the Coastal Mississippi and Visit Mississippi tourism agencies.
“We’re excited to partner with Coastal Mississippi and Visit Mississippi to bring Banana Ball to the Coast,” Biloxi Shuckers general manager Hunter Reed said in a press release. “We’ve seen throughout Minor League Baseball how popular Banana Ball is growing the game of baseball, and we’re excited to showcase our ballpark to new and returning fans across the Coast.”
The ticket lottery opened immediately for both games, which will include professional players twisting the traditional game into one that includes choreographed dances, jersey additions, and unusual rules like if a foul ball is caught by a fan, it counts as an out. Jesse Cole created Banana Ball in 2015 with the goal of a fans-first entertainment experience that, in his words, makes baseball fun.
The ticket lottery list is open until Oct. 31 with a random drawing to follow deciding who can purchase tickets.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Banana Ball to Coastal Mississippi,” Coastal Mississippi CEO Judy Young said. “Jesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas organization have redefined what it means to have fun at the ballpark, and we can’t wait to see The Firefighters take on Loco Beach Coconuts right here on the Gulf Coast for two incredible nights. It’s going to be an unforgettable celebration of energy, excitement, and pure entertainment, the perfect way to Play Coastal Mississippi.”
As part of the larger announcement in which Banana Ball coming to Biloxi was revealed, Cole and company announced the full slate of 2026 venues as well. It includes 75 stadiums in 45 states with an expected overall attendance of 3.2 million. Other spots of note include the New Orleans Saints’ Superdome, Yankee Stadium, the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, and Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium.
Last season, two Banana Ball teams – The Party Animals and the Texas Tailgaters – played inside Dudy Noble Field on the campus of Mississippi State and sold out both nights with ease.
