The Savannah Bananas — the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball — made their third trip to Clemson in just 11 months, delivering yet another unforgettable show for Tiger fans.
This time, however, the home team got its revenge from last year, defeating the Bananas 4-3 in an incredibly entertaining matchup.
Clemson has become a regular stop on the Bananas’ tour. The Tigers first hosted them in an exhibition game last November, then again in April, when more than 80,000 fans packed Memorial Stadium for the largest crowd in Savannah Bananas history.
That November matchup produced a viral moment for Clemson baseball when pitcher Dion Brown, along with his middle infielders and center fielder, broke into a choreographed dance that ended with synchronized backflips — racking up 37.4 million views on TikTok.
Of course, the Tigers had to run it back. Brown took the mound again and capped another dance routine with four simultaneous backflips before delivering the first pitch of the inning.
Ty Dalley, a transfer from Mercer, had a “welcome to Clemson” moment like no other.
The senior infielder and outfielder smashed a home run to right field, nothing unusual, except his bat was literally on fire.
“It was kind of thrown together, really, right before the game. ‘Do you want to light your bat on fire?’ I was like ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’,” Dalley said. “Then it happened.”
Dalley, who averaged nearly 20 home runs at Mercer, was already expected to bring a hot bat to Clemson’s lineup — just not quite that hot.
In somewhat of a step down from last year’s Jay Dillard riding to his at-bat on a horse, senior catcher Jacob Jarrell made his entrance on a motorcycle, blasting the song “Wild Thing” and wearing a leather biker’s vest.
To none of his teammates’ knowledge, Jarrell drove in straight from the right field line.
“That was fire. I actually didn’t know the motorcycle was going down, but it was sick,” Jarren Purify said.
As always, a Savannah Bananas show is far more than a baseball game. Music plays throughout the night, fans catch foul balls for outs, engage in mini-games and dance alongside the players, all while making memories that last a lifetime.
The Bananas teased coming back to Clemson in 2026, with catcher Bill Leroy saying postgame, “We’ll get Clemson boys next year.”
In an environment where winning is taken very seriously year-round, it’s refreshing to loosen up for a night and enjoy the same game, just with a different twist.
“I was hoping it would be a game like that,” head coach Erik Bakich said. “It was just one of those games where the difference could be anything. Could be a pitch, a play, a swing and, luckily, we were one more pitch, one more play better.”
“But still doesn’t take away from that type of environment and how it felt. It felt like a postseason game.”
And that postseason feeling is exactly what the Tigers are chasing. With just four months until their next campaign, Clemson is already looking ahead to a comeback season.
