SAN DIEGO - The Savannah Bananas took over Petco Park on Saturday and Sunday, bringing their high-energy version of “Banana Ball” to the city. Combining real competition with nonstop entertainment, the viral sensation has reimagined baseball through trick plays, choreographed routines, and fan-driven theatrics.
But beyond the entertainment aspect of the game, Banana Ball is also breaking barriers.
The league currently features four women, including Kelsie Whitmore and Denae Benites, both of whom took the field during the Petco Park series.
San Diego’s Kelsie Whitmore got a standing ovation from the crowd at Petco Park on Saturday. Credit: Dakota Gray / DakotaGraySports.com
Whitmore, a Southern California native born in San Diego and raised in Temecula, has built an impressive professional career. She has played for men’s teams including the Staten Island FerryHawks and Oakland Ballers, earned 2022 USA Baseball Sportswoman-of-the-Year honors, and was the top pick in the Women’s Pro Baseball League draft.
Taking the mound at Petco Park carried special meaning for her.
“It really is a dream come true,” Whitmore said. “Just very grateful for all of it.”
Having attended games there as a child, the moment marked a full-circle milestone. As she walked onto the field, she was met with a standing ovation, an unmistakable sign of the crowd’s support and the growing demand for women in baseball.
Benites, in her first year of Banana Ball with the Loco Beach Coconuts, brings her own elite experience. A four-time member of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team and sixth pick in the Women’s Pro Baseball League draft, the catcher has already established herself as a high-level competitor.
Her presence, like Whitmore’s, is not symbolic. It’s earned.
“Women belong in this game,” Benites said. “And we’re here to stay.”
Denae Benites excites the crowd before her at-bat on Saturday at Petco Park. Credit: Dakota Gray / DakotaGraySports.com
One of the weekend’s most memorable moments came when Whitmore and Benites faced off with Whitmore on the mound and Benites at the plate. For a brief moment, 40,000 fans witnessed a glimpse of baseball’s future, one where women are no longer outsiders.
Both players represent a shift in what baseball can look like. For years, the path to the highest levels of the sport has been narrowly defined.
“I was always told I had to be 6’3” and throw 90 miles an hour,” Whitmore said. “That just wasn’t my game.”
That mindset is exactly what Banana Ball is challenging. By creating space for players like Whitmore and Benites, the league is expanding opportunities while reaching a national audience.
The Savannah Bananas may be known for their dancing, costumes, and viral moments but their impact on the game is undeniable. They are helping reshape the narrative of who belongs on the field.
Women in baseball aren’t knocking on the door anymore.
They’re already in the game, and they’re not leaving.
Inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League Draft
Top 10 Picks
1. San Francisco: Kelsie Whitmore, RHP
2. Los Angeles: Ayami Sato, RHP
3. New York: Kylee Lahners, 3B
4. Boston: Hyeonah Kim, C
5. Boston: Alli Schroder, RHP
6. New York: Denae Benites, C
7. Los Angeles: Ashton Lansdell, 3B
8. San Francisco: Amanda Gianelloni, 2B
9. San Francisco: Joely Leguizamon, SS
10. Los Angeles: Mo'ne Davis, CF
Readers may remember 10th pick, Mo’ne Davis. At age 13, she competed in the 2014 Little League World Series and became the first girl to win a game and pitch a shutout. Opening Day for the the four-team WPBL is August 1, 2026.
