July 12, 2026: The Savannah Bananas baseball team brought laughter and joy to Kinnick Stadium in Iowa on a recent 2-game tour stop, and also provided heartfelt moments when they participated in the beloved “Hawkeye Wave” during the games.
The “Hawkeye Wave” is a tradition for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team, which calls the Iowa City stadium home. After the first quarter of football, the teams and all the fans turn to the adjacent University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital and wave to the patients watching from the windows there.
The Bananas and their fans performed the wave after the second innings of their recent games.
Throughout the games, current and former patients were also honored on the field.
The Savannah Bananas are a traveling exhibition team that plays a wacky, entertaining version of baseball called “Banana Ball.” Often compared to the Harlem Globetrotters, the Savannah Bananas play fast-paced games that incorporate fan participation.
“We felt it tonight,” Jesse Cole, the founder of Banana Ball, told Hawkeyes Wire. “So did 70,000 fans, fans from 49 states, every one of our players that came from all around the country. We felt it tonight… the emotion, the tradition, understanding that it’s so much more than a game. We have a lot of moments that are special as you travel around the country; this is one we will never forget.”
The tribute was especially meaningful for Bananas’ pitcher Trystan Levesque, whose brother died after battling leukemia.
Photos of the event can be seen at the University of Iowa website, and the games are available on YouTube: Game 1 and Game 2.
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