VIDEO: Blake Benson’s Banana Ball Debut
JetBlue Park, spring training home to the Boston Red Sox, served as the backdrop for Blake Benson’s debut on the Banana Ball circuit in 2025. Before he even threw a pitch, Benson passionately lip-synced Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” before proceeding to perform both a handstand and a backflip on the mound. He also showcased “six traditional baseball pitches” while donning the pink uniform worn by the Party Animals.
Yes, this is the same league made famous by the Savannah Bananas. No, Concordia baseball coach Ryan Dupic won’t take credit for teaching Benson the acrobatic moves that inspire joy and smiles from crowds all over the country. But Benson acknowledges Concordia for how it transformed his mentality.
“To this day, I think about what Dupic taught me – the ability to compete and the mindset you have to have,” Benson said. “I have taken what he told me to heart. Without him, I don’t know how good of a pitcher I’d be. Before that, I was pretty emotional. I was so worried about my routine before I’d go and pitch, and I’d put so much pressure on myself. At Concordia, it was – we’re here to play baseball and here to compete. Throw every pitch with intentionality. He made me a better pitcher mindset-wise. I have no idea how well I would do here without him.”
A native of Springdale, Ark., Benson spent his final two collegiate seasons (2023 and 2024) at Concordia University, Nebraska before finding his niche in Banana Ball, a growing phenomenon that has filled MLB ballparks and college football stadiums around the United States. Benson caught on with the Party Animals in his rookie season and is now a member of the Loco Beach Coconuts (contracts are year-to-year). In late June, as Benson describes how such circumstances transpired, he and his teammates are preparing for a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Travel is a big part of the job for Benson, who lists St. Louis, San Diego and Milwaukee as three of his favorite road trips thus far. In each case, Benson took the mound inside Major League Baseball stadiums. (The trip to San Diego included a team surf outing). In a typical week during the season, the Banana Ball teams spend Monday-Tuesday in Savannah, Ga., before flying out for matches that are played towards the weekend. What Benson provides the audience with is a legit pitcher who also happens to be an experienced dancer. The toll exacted on the body for a Banana Ball pitcher differs when compared to a typical baseball pitcher.
“One inning in Banana Ball equals about four innings of regular pitching, based on how tired you get,” Benson explains. “You don’t really get any breaks. You’re supposed to pitch a ball within 10 seconds of every pitch. We have to come up with sequences like fastball-cutter-slider as the first three pitches. You have to land them for strikes or you’re in trouble. The fans love it. It’s really tiring, I’ll tell you that. Doing backflips on top of it, I’m gassed. But I’m only out there for an inning so I might as well give it my all.”
Benson was meant for Banana Ball. Benson and Banana Ball just needed to be introduced to one another. A December 2024 graduate of Concordia, Benson figured he would go on and use his degree (K-12 Physical Education) and become a teacher and coach (which still may happen one day). A different path emerged when former Concordia professor Benjamin Hinckfoot suggested that Benson give Banana Ball a try.
Benson was intrigued. Bulldog teammate Alex Johnson began researching what it took for someone to try out. With Johnson shooting video, Benson put together an audition tape of sorts and submitted it online. A few days later, Benson was contacted with an invitation to try out in October 2024 at the home stadium of the Kansas City Monarchs, a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball. Benson made a strong impression, leading to him being placed on a Banana Ball team in a league meant for maximum fan entertainment.
Says Benson, “I was hoping to go for the Bananas because I thought they were the best team. That’s not how it worked. They basically said I was a good fit for the Party Animals because I danced. They already had breakdancers and stuff. I was like, okay. That team was incredible. We destroyed everybody. We won the championship.”
Benson has proven himself as a professional over his two seasons of Banana Ball. He returned in 2026 after a health scare in the middle of the 2025 season. Benson says the medical issue is behind him. Benson hopes to continue the lifestyle for the foreseeable future and continue to live up to the hype that built leading up to his debut. As the TV voice told the audience when Benson suited up for the first time, “He’s hailed as potentially a game breaker out on the mound. He’s been dancing competitively since he was five years old. It’s one of the debuts we’ve all been waiting for.”
Benson displayed tremendous growth over two-and-a-half years as a Bulldog. Over the ’23 and ’24 seasons, he made 24 pitching appearances and posted a 13-4 record to go along with a 4.75 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 115.2 innings. He played a pivotal role for the 2024 GPAC Championship team and was a member of two national tournament teams for Dupic’s program.
Prior to the ’24 season, Dupic made specific mention of the lefty hurler in saying, “Blake Benson’s going to be a big key for us. I think he’s a lot better right now than he was a year ago, and I thought he was a pretty good pitcher a year ago. His progress has been significant. I think he’s on a better track. I’m constantly trying to press into him to trust himself and keep committed to what he does – and keep things simple. He’s really good when he does that.”
From a mental standpoint, Benson says he turned a corner after surrendering a two-run triple that provided the winning runs in a game at Doane in April 2023. As Benson recalls, Dupic emphasized that he needed to be more intentional with each pitch he threw. From that moment of failure, Benson got better. In the absence of a pitching coach in Banana Ball, Benson says he still leans back on many of the concepts preached by Dupic, a “pitching wizard” in his words.
The son of Jason and Kacey, Benson had lived virtually his entire life in his home state of Arkansas before venturing to Concordia for the fall semester of 2022. He previously attended NCAA Division III University of the Ozarks. Benson says he drove eight hours to Seward on the day before classes started. He had never seen the campus and wasn’t even sure what his head coach looked like. A teammate Benson had in the Northwoods League in Iowa helped sell Benson on coming to Concordia.
Says Benson, “The weather is horrible in Nebraska, but I think that’s what makes the people so good. They’re the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met. I can still say that today.”
As someone who openly discusses his faith, Benson appreciates the Christian atmosphere fostered by Concordia. As Benson says, “At Concordia, I had people with the same passion for the Lord ... Those two-and-a-half years at Concordia changed my life."
That same passion extends to baseball and to dancing. In the fall semester of 2024, as Benson was finishing his degree, he sometimes practiced his dance moves in the Walz Fieldhouse. He was sure some of the track and field athletes thought it odd, but he did it anyway.
For those interested, they can catch Benson dancing, oftentimes with his fiancé Keelee, via his Instagram and TikTok accounts. Fittingly, a baseball field typically fills the background. Yes, he was meant for this. He says that his father may even like Banana Ball more than him.
Added Benson, “I’ve had people tell me I was destined for this job. I love it. I love dancing. I love playing baseball.”
The schedule for the Loco Beach Coconuts can be found HERE. The Coconuts are slated to play through the end of September with upcoming trips set for locations such as Target Field in Minneapolis, Busch Stadium in St. Louis and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.