Eric Jones Jr. will play in front of his hometown on Friday night
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β The Savannah Bananas are the hottest ticket in sports and entertainment in the United States.
Look no further than two sellouts this week (Friday and Saturday) at Bank of America Stadium.Β
The fun, thrilling and family-friendly Banana Ball is filling NFL stadiums, including the home of the Panthers.
Two players who will be on the field can’t believe it.
Eric Jones Jr. is the Bananas catcher and first baseman. He played at South Meck High School and at Davidson College.
“When it was first announced, I had to immediately call my family,” Jones said while wearing a No. 59 Luike Kuechly jersey. “They couldn’t believe it. I’ve loved the Panthers my whole life. I’ve loved baseball my whole life. I never envisioned playing baseball in the Panthers stadium.”
Jones played in the minor leagues, and became the bullpen catcher for the Seattle Mariners. But the 29-year-old wanted to get back on the field. The Bananas offered a unique way to pursue his playing dreams.
“The lesson is to be open minded. Be open to what’s coming next,” Jones said. “You don’t know what’s coming next. Believe that good things are going to happen to you.”
The centerfielder for the Bananas opponent, Party Animals, is former Charlotte Christian and Charlotte 49ers standout Reece Hampton.
“Could not believe it,” Hampton said. “At the beginning of the year we didn’t know how it was going to work. We’ve played a few football stadiums so now we know what to expect.”
Contact Nick Carboni atΒ ncarboni@wcnc.comΒ and follow him onΒ Facebook,Β XΒ andΒ Instagram.
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