Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns join Banana Ball
Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole introduces us to the newest Banana Ball teams, the Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns.
The newest team of the Savannah Bananas’ organization is headed to Cincinnati.
The Indianapolis Clowns, who made their debut this year, officially joined the Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters and Loco Beach Coconuts as teams to put an entertainment-first twist on baseball.
The exhibition team faces the Bananas on June 19-21 at Great American Ball Park.
Here’s what you need to know about the Indianapolis Clowns.
Savannah Bananas brought back historied Indianapolis Clowns
The original Clowns were founded in the 1930s as the Miami Giants before becoming the Ethiopian Clowns. After moving to Cincinnati in the early 1940s and starting play in the Negro Leagues, they moved a couple seasons later and became the Indianapolis Clowns. The Clowns, known equally for their baseball skill and showmanship, were a barnstorming team playing in the waning years of the Negro Leagues.
The Clowns played all over the United States, playing as many as three games in a day. After the 1951 season, the Clowns relocated to Buffalo but retained the Indianapolis Clowns name, according to an article in the Buffalo News.
The new Indianapolis Clowns, who are on the Banana Ball World Tour, played in Indianapolis on May 15 and 16.
“Banana Ball is all about energy, entertainment, flipping the script — and you know what? That’s exactly what the Negro Leagues brought to the game from day one. Flash. Innovation. Community and an unconditional love for the game. They were rockstars before the world called ballplayers that,” Clowns manager Errick Fox said in a statement.
Where do the Indianapolis Clowns play?
The Indiana-based team hosted headliner home games at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis.
However, they travel across the country during the 2026 Banana Ball World Tour, including Cincinnati.
What teams play against the Indianapolis Clowns?
The Clowns play 27 games against the Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts and Firefighters in their first inaugural season.
Who plays for the Indianapolis Clowns?
The Clowns’ 2026 roster features players from states all over the country, including Ohio. The team is coached by Errick Fox, former World Series Champion Ryan Howard, Willie Carter and Tony Voiro.
- #1 Kirkland Banks; Lake Charles, Louisiana (utility player).
- #2 Jalen Vasquez; North Charleston, South Carolina (infielder).
- #3 Joe Gray; Hattiesburg, Mississippi (outfielder).
- #4 Gage Vorhees; Springfield, Ohio (pitcher).
- #5 Brian Dansereau; Douglasville, Georgia (infielder).
- #7 Bobby Lada; Houston, Texas (infielder).
- #8 Brett Maddock; Oakdale, California (pitcher).
- #9 Chris Burgess; Lithonia, Georgia (catcher).
- #11 Correlle Prime; Bradenton, Florida (pitcher and infielder).
- #12 Niko Hulsizer; Mohnton, Pennsylvania (outfielder).
- #13 Clark Gilmore; Redding, Connecticut (pitcher).
- #15 David Griffin; Hanover, Massachusetts (pitcher).
- #16 Eli Paton; La Canada, California (infielder).
- #19 Jackie Bradley Jr.; Richmond, Virginia (outfielder).
- #21 Vinny Santarsiero; Gainesville, Florida (pitcher).
- #22 Joe Lytle; Yukon, Oklahoma (catcher).
- #24 Kobe Robinson; Alcoa, Tennessee (pitcher).
- #25 Dayan Reinoso; Hazelton, Pennsylvania (pitcher).
- #33 Nick Wilson; Carrollton, Texas (pitcher).
- #34 Daniel Foster; Rockledge, Florida (pitcher).
- #44 Dale Francis Jr.; Fort Pierce, Florida (utility player).
- #67 Andrew Irvine; Clive, Iowa (pitcher).
- Mat Wolf; Yukon, Oklahoma (pitcher, infielder and entertainer).
- Fisher Polydoroff; Keller, Texas (pitcher and entertainer).
- Malachi “Flash Tha Kid” Mitchell; (entertainer and dancer).
Indianapolis Clowns 2026 schedule
Here is the remainder of the Clowns’ 2026 schedule.
- June 19-21: vs. Savannah Bananas in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- June 26-27: vs. Firefighters in Fargo, North Dakota.
- July 2-4: at Loco Beach Coconuts in Jacksonville, Florida.
- July 23-25: vs. Party Animals in Hartford, Connecticut.
- July 31-Aug. 1: vs. Loco Beach Coconuts in Bowie, Maryland.
- Aug. 6-8: vs. Texas Tailgaters in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
- Aug. 14-15: vs. Savannah Bananas in Denver, Colorado.
- Aug. 21-22: vs. Texas Tailgaters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- Aug. 27-29: vs. Firefighters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Sept. 11-13: vs. Loco Beach Coconuts in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Sept. 19-20: vs. Loco Beach Coconuts in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Sept. 25-26: vs. Party Animals in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Oct. 1-4: Banana Ball Championship.
How to get tickets to the Bananas-Clowns game in Cincinnati
Tickets can be purchased on the Bananas’ Fans First Tickets app, or on resale sites, such as StubHub and SeatGeek.
The Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Baird contributed to this report.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.cincinnati.com ’
