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The Savannah Bananas made their first appearance in Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, treating the crowd to a game of Banana Ball, flipping the traditional game of baseball on its head.
The first game of the scheduled two, initially slated to start at 7:30 p.m. was delayed 2½ hours by lightning, but the Savannah Bananas and The Firefighters treated fans to a night of late night Banana Ball, with the typically two-hour long game that went into three showdown rounds.
The game starting just before 9:30 p.m. lasted until nearly 11:45 p.m., with The Firefighters winning the game, but the Savannah Bananas still treated fans to a jampacked and unforgettable evening.
Here are four takeaways from the traveling baseball team’s visit to the Kinnick Stadium on July 3.
More: Kinnick Stadium hosts Banana Ball July 3‑4 with all-day fan events
Regarded as one of the “best traditions in college sports,” the Iowa Wave was present at the Banana Ball game at Kinnick Stadium.
Similar to a Hawkeye football game, in between The Firefighters hitting in the second inning and before the Savannah Bananas went to hit, both teams gathered at the subtle Tigerhawk at the middle of the makeshift baseball field to wave to the 12th floor of the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital. The teams came together for a moment, and the game did not matter.
Mason Maxwell, a utility player for The Firefighters, was mic'd up during the game and called the Wave “a really cool tradition.”
More: Savannah Bananas at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium: Game 1 updates, highlights
“It was actually really cool; that’s a really cool tradition,” Maxwell said. “And the way it started is a really neat thing.”
In early 2017, the children’s hospital opened just across the street from Kinnick Stadium, and hospital staff and guests noticed that the large windows on the 12th floor provided a direct view down into the stadium.
A fan on Facebook suggested that fans at Kinnick take a minute to wave to the patients, and thus the tradition was born. When the clock hit zero at the end of the first quarter, when the Hawkeyes took on the University of Wyoming Cowboys, fans at Kinnick stood and turned to face the hospital to wave, creating one of the “best traditions in college sports.”
At Savannah Bananas’ games, it is common to see a special celebrity make a surprise appearance.
While visiting Kinnick Stadium, there was a lot of speculation about who tonight’s special guest could be. Maybe Caitlin Clark? Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean, or perhaps Hawkeye alum George Kittle?
George Kittle was off the table, as he secured an invitation to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden.
Instead, fans were treated to a brief performance from Joe King, of Denver-formed rock band, The Fray. Singing the 2008 hit, “You Found Me,” which peaked at No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2009.
More: 11 beaches on Iowa DNR's swimming not recommended list for July 4
King seemingly has no connections to Iowa. The Fray played at the Iowa State Fair in 2015 and, most recently, at Rhythm City Casino in Davenport in May 2025.
King was joined by utility player Danny Hosley of the Savannah Bananas for a melodramatic performance before Hosley went up to bat.
At home base, Hosley took off after the first pitch and slid past second base and was not able to get back in time, with the Bananas burning their “challenge” on the previous play.
Though Hawkeye football legends DeJean and Kittle were absent from Friday’s game, Brad Banks made up for it with a surprise appearance as “QB for the Bananas,” along with tight end Dallas Clark.
Both Banks and Clark played together as teammates during their time at the UI, notably in the 2002 season when the Hawkeyes had an 11-2 record and tied for the conference championship with Ohio State University. Had the Hawkeyes not lost to Iowa State in the CyHawk game, the Hawkeyes would have been undefeated in the regular season.
That year, the Hawkeyes finished No. 8 in the AP Poll. Banks himself was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Banks went on to win the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback and was named AP College Football Player of the Year. Clark was the 2002 recipient of the John Mackey Award, presented to the most outstanding tight end in college football, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, and a first-team All-American.
More: Iowa legend Caitlin Clark named starter for 2026 WNBA All-Star Game
Banks joined the Bananas to throw at the 50-yard line, but with No. 7 for the Bananas getting blocked and pushed out of bounds at the seven-yard line. Clark joined in to play tight end. Banks throwing the ball directly to Clark and completing the play and getting a touchdown, a near-perfect recreation of the play used to take down Purdue in 2002.
After playing at the University of Iowa, Banks went on to play in the Canadian Football League and the Iowa Barnstormers. In 2003, Clark was the 24th overall pick in the 1st round of the draft, playing for the Indianapolis Colts from 2003 to 2011 and winning Super Bowl XLI with the team, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Baltimore Ravens, but in 2014, Clark signed a one-day contract with the Colts so that he could retire as a member of the team.
The Savannah Bananas have a history of doing well in July, but at Kinnick Stadium, The Firefighters put an end to the Savannah Bananas’ July juggernaut, the first July loss since 2023. The final score of the game 5-3.
The July 3 game was the fifth battle for the teams this year, with both teams having two wins against each other. Historically, the Bananas dominate The Firefighters. Throughout the years, the Bananas have lost to The Firefighters only eight times, but in 2026, The Firefighters proved themselves a fierce challenger for the Bananas.
The Savannah Bananas will continue to face off The Firefighters for the rest of the month, notably the second game at Kinnick on Saturday, July 4. However, July proved to be the strongest month for the Savannah Bananas, but now the month is off to a shaky start.
Before the Friday, July 3 game, the Savannah Bananas had a 26-3 all-time record in the month of July, or an .897 winning percentage. To contrast that, a .568 win percentage in all other months.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: 4 takeaways from the Savannah Bananas’ wild night at Kinnick Stadium
Continue reading...
The first game of the scheduled two, initially slated to start at 7:30 p.m. was delayed 2½ hours by lightning, but the Savannah Bananas and The Firefighters treated fans to a night of late night Banana Ball, with the typically two-hour long game that went into three showdown rounds.
The game starting just before 9:30 p.m. lasted until nearly 11:45 p.m., with The Firefighters winning the game, but the Savannah Bananas still treated fans to a jampacked and unforgettable evening.
Here are four takeaways from the traveling baseball team’s visit to the Kinnick Stadium on July 3.
More: Kinnick Stadium hosts Banana Ball July 3‑4 with all-day fan events
Savannah Bananas maintain tradition at Kinnick with the Iowa wave
Regarded as one of the “best traditions in college sports,” the Iowa Wave was present at the Banana Ball game at Kinnick Stadium.
Similar to a Hawkeye football game, in between The Firefighters hitting in the second inning and before the Savannah Bananas went to hit, both teams gathered at the subtle Tigerhawk at the middle of the makeshift baseball field to wave to the 12th floor of the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital. The teams came together for a moment, and the game did not matter.
Mason Maxwell, a utility player for The Firefighters, was mic'd up during the game and called the Wave “a really cool tradition.”
More: Savannah Bananas at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium: Game 1 updates, highlights
“It was actually really cool; that’s a really cool tradition,” Maxwell said. “And the way it started is a really neat thing.”
In early 2017, the children’s hospital opened just across the street from Kinnick Stadium, and hospital staff and guests noticed that the large windows on the 12th floor provided a direct view down into the stadium.
A fan on Facebook suggested that fans at Kinnick take a minute to wave to the patients, and thus the tradition was born. When the clock hit zero at the end of the first quarter, when the Hawkeyes took on the University of Wyoming Cowboys, fans at Kinnick stood and turned to face the hospital to wave, creating one of the “best traditions in college sports.”
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Surprise appearance from a Grammy nominated rock star
At Savannah Bananas’ games, it is common to see a special celebrity make a surprise appearance.
While visiting Kinnick Stadium, there was a lot of speculation about who tonight’s special guest could be. Maybe Caitlin Clark? Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean, or perhaps Hawkeye alum George Kittle?
George Kittle was off the table, as he secured an invitation to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden.
Instead, fans were treated to a brief performance from Joe King, of Denver-formed rock band, The Fray. Singing the 2008 hit, “You Found Me,” which peaked at No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2009.
More: 11 beaches on Iowa DNR's swimming not recommended list for July 4
King seemingly has no connections to Iowa. The Fray played at the Iowa State Fair in 2015 and, most recently, at Rhythm City Casino in Davenport in May 2025.
King was joined by utility player Danny Hosley of the Savannah Bananas for a melodramatic performance before Hosley went up to bat.
At home base, Hosley took off after the first pitch and slid past second base and was not able to get back in time, with the Bananas burning their “challenge” on the previous play.
Iowa Hawkeye football legends join the Bananas for a quick round of football
Though Hawkeye football legends DeJean and Kittle were absent from Friday’s game, Brad Banks made up for it with a surprise appearance as “QB for the Bananas,” along with tight end Dallas Clark.
Both Banks and Clark played together as teammates during their time at the UI, notably in the 2002 season when the Hawkeyes had an 11-2 record and tied for the conference championship with Ohio State University. Had the Hawkeyes not lost to Iowa State in the CyHawk game, the Hawkeyes would have been undefeated in the regular season.
That year, the Hawkeyes finished No. 8 in the AP Poll. Banks himself was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Banks went on to win the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback and was named AP College Football Player of the Year. Clark was the 2002 recipient of the John Mackey Award, presented to the most outstanding tight end in college football, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, and a first-team All-American.
You must be registered for see images attach
More: Iowa legend Caitlin Clark named starter for 2026 WNBA All-Star Game
Banks joined the Bananas to throw at the 50-yard line, but with No. 7 for the Bananas getting blocked and pushed out of bounds at the seven-yard line. Clark joined in to play tight end. Banks throwing the ball directly to Clark and completing the play and getting a touchdown, a near-perfect recreation of the play used to take down Purdue in 2002.
After playing at the University of Iowa, Banks went on to play in the Canadian Football League and the Iowa Barnstormers. In 2003, Clark was the 24th overall pick in the 1st round of the draft, playing for the Indianapolis Colts from 2003 to 2011 and winning Super Bowl XLI with the team, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Baltimore Ravens, but in 2014, Clark signed a one-day contract with the Colts so that he could retire as a member of the team.
Savannah Bananas end their historic July winning streak
The Savannah Bananas have a history of doing well in July, but at Kinnick Stadium, The Firefighters put an end to the Savannah Bananas’ July juggernaut, the first July loss since 2023. The final score of the game 5-3.
The July 3 game was the fifth battle for the teams this year, with both teams having two wins against each other. Historically, the Bananas dominate The Firefighters. Throughout the years, the Bananas have lost to The Firefighters only eight times, but in 2026, The Firefighters proved themselves a fierce challenger for the Bananas.
The Savannah Bananas will continue to face off The Firefighters for the rest of the month, notably the second game at Kinnick on Saturday, July 4. However, July proved to be the strongest month for the Savannah Bananas, but now the month is off to a shaky start.
Before the Friday, July 3 game, the Savannah Bananas had a 26-3 all-time record in the month of July, or an .897 winning percentage. To contrast that, a .568 win percentage in all other months.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: 4 takeaways from the Savannah Bananas’ wild night at Kinnick Stadium
Continue reading...
