Bananas for baseball: Former Jamestown player swings for a second chance after illness

JAMESTOWN Backflips, "behind the back" moves and players on stilts.

A former Jamestown University baseball player is fighting for a chance to try out with the Savannah Bananas.

Jackson Bonnevilles baseball career was stopped short by sickness.

He lost 60 pounds.

But Bonneville, a 22-year-old former third baseman, is taking his talents in a new direction.

Its been really fun, like, way more fun than I could have imagined, Bonneville said.

He has gained more than 170,000 followers on TikTok over the past few years by emulating his childhood hero, Aaron Rodgers.

Now, hes trying to join one of the fastest-growing shows in baseball: the Savannah Bananas.

But the change wasnt necessarily on purpose.

I just got a random stomach sickness, Bonneville said.

It was actually the same week that I met Aaron Rodgers.

When the whole thing started, I was literally sick in the whole RV trip to New York, and then for three weeks after, and then I ended up getting my gallbladder removed.

In August 2024, the sickness derailed his playing career.

I just never got back to where I could work out consistently without kind of feeling like crap or eat as much food as I need to, to put on the weight to play my year of college baseball, Bonneville said.

At his lowest, Bonneville lost 60 pounds.

He moved back home to Ashland, Wis., and helped coach the local high school baseball team.

Through the spring, during his offseason for posting football content to the Internet, Bonneville pondered launching a Road to Banana Ball video series.

But he worried about alienating his fan base.

I was so terrified to post the baseball video because I was, like, never posted a baseball video, he said.

I only do football videos.

He made the videos but kept them in his camera roll.

Before the first video was posted, he had already filmed five days worth of content.

I posted it and I just didnt look for like hours, Bonneville said.

I was like, dont even want to look, like nobodys gonna care.

People cared.

The series has gained 600,000 views so far, and the Bananas took notice.

Comments poured in from current players to Jesse Cole, the owner and creator of Banana Ball.

I was blown away, Bonneville said.

After some recent big news, the dream could become reality.

I havent even told my parents this yet, but the director of recruiting for the Bananas DMd me the other day, and he goes, 'Love what youre doing.

Lets get you to a workout,' Bonneville said.

Still well under his playing weight, Bonneville asked if he could have until October to prepare.

Give me till October.

Do you think itll still be there? Like, will I be able to do the tryout? He said yes, so I gotta put in the work, he said.

Bonneville has been working on tricks like through-the-leg moves and behind-the-back bounces.

Learning a backflip is still in the works.

With four months to continue training, hes swinging for the fences.

Even if I dont make the team, I had a shot, and theres nothing more that I can ask for, Bonneville said.

He has a goal of gaining 20 pounds before the October tryout.

The 22-year-olds message to himself and others: If you believe it, you can do it..

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