Auburn baseball and the Banana Ball All-Stars delivered an electrifying performance at Plainsman Park, captivating a sellout crowd with a game that featured an Eagle flight to home plate, choreographed dances, and trick plays. Auburn coach Butch Thompson praised the event, saying, “What they provided for us is an experience our players will take forever, but a real opportunity to absolutely focus on their game.” He added, “This was a huge win for our program.”
Auburn led the game, scoring in six of the nine innings to secure a 3-0 points lead by the top of the ninth. However, the Banana Ball All-Stars rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into a showdown. The 10th inning saw both teams emerge unscathed, but the All-Stars clinched victory in the 11th with an inside-the-park home run.
Mason McCraine highlighted the game with a three-run homer in his first unofficial Auburn at-bat. Former Auburn All-American Sonny DiChiara also shone, hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning. “One more swing was left in there,” DiChiara said. “If that’s the last one I ever have on this field in any capacity, that was the best moment ever.”
Lucas Steele, a senior catcher, returned to the lineup in the sixth inning and hit a two-run homer. “It was one of those moments,” Steele said. “Probably one of my favorite homers I’ve ever hit in my life. They showed us what it’s like to have fun in the game again.”