Post-collegiate career, many athletes seek alternative ways to continue playing the sport they dedicated money and years to. Many athletes look to play professionally or in minor leagues, while others switch their focus to their careers.
Yet former Quinnipiac pitcher Jack Kabel sought a different route post-graduation, trying out for the Savannah Bananas.
Quinnipiac baseball wished the former Bobcats luck via Instagram, saying, “This week, former Bobcat, Jack Kabel, is down in Nashville for a tryout with the Savannah Bananas. Good luck Kabel!”
For those unfamiliar with Banana Ball, the Savannah Bananas are a professional baseball-inspired exhibition team, playing a unique, fast-paced style of baseball enjoyable for a wide range of audiences. The Savannah Bananas embed choreographed dancing, modified rules and a two-hour time limit, bringing an interesting style of baseball to fans.
“We are not your typical baseball team. We take chances. We bend the rules. We challenge the way things are ‘supposed’ to be. We are Fans First and We Entertain Always,” The Savannah Bananas wrote on their website.
The Savannah Bananas compete against fellow Banana Ball teams, including the Party Animals, Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters. These teams travel to different MLB Stadiums around the country, selling out many games.
Banana Ball has grown increasingly popular throughout the country, with tickets becoming very costly due to the high demand and popularity of the baseball variant, as written by the Los Angeles Times.
Before coming to Quinnipiac, Kabel played Division III collegiate baseball at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Kabel’s collegiate career started to gain traction during his junior campaign, where he appeared in 20 games, tying the program record for third-highest total. During his junior season, Kabel recorded a 7.01 ERA, a 1.91 WHIP and 40 strikeouts.
In his senior season at Nichols, he appeared in 14 games, starting in seven of them. The East Haven, Conn. native led the team with 54 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched, with a 6.92 ERA.
When it came to his collegiate play post-undergrad, Kabel opted to go to Quinnipiac for his graduate years. As a graduate student in 2024, Kabel made 13 appearances for the Bobcats with an ERA of 6.67, striking out 30 batters in 28.1 innings pitched.
In his second graduate year, Kabel was named to the 2025 All-Academic Team, making 17 appearances in 2025, striking out 22 batters. Additionally, he recorded a 5.01 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.
As of publication, Kabel is in the process of trying out for the Savannah Bananas, with no official roster information released.
