From 'goofball' to Banana Ball: Alumnus Jordan Barth finds his perfect stage

Jordan Barth never fit the mold.

Not at Augustana. Not in independent baseball. And certainly not in the traditional path to professional baseball.

But somewhere between a behind-the-back throw that once drew his coach’s frustration and a sold-out stadium packed with 65,000 fans, Barth found exactly where he belongs.

And, as it turns out, it’s Banana Ball.

“I think every single person I’ve talked to has said, ‘You’re the perfect person for that,’” Barth says. “It’s kind of full circle.”

Banana Ball, a fast-paced, entertainment-driven version of baseball based in Savannah, Georgia, has exploded in popularity in recent years because its blends high-level play with choreographed dances, trick plays and fan interactions. Games move quickly, often finishing in under two hours, with rules designed to keep players constantly in motion and fans constantly engaged.

For Barth, it’s not just a new version of baseball. It’s a version that finally matches who he’s always been.

Barth’s journey to the league wasn’t linear. After finishing his career at Augustana in 2022 — where he had helped to lead the Vikings to a Division II national championship as a freshman in 2018 — his sights were set on professional baseball.

“The goal was always to get to affiliated ball,” Barth says. “But I never really felt pressure. I just wanted to play as well as I could and win.”

Instead, he took a different route, one that started in Billings, Montana, in the independent Pioneer League before eventually bringing him back to Sioux Falls to play for the Canaries in the American Association. There, Barth built a reputation as a consistent hitter and a player who thrived in big moments.

In 2024, his second season with the Birds, he was named to the 2024 All-Star West Division lineup as the starting shortstop. Last season, he earned his first career Batter of the Week honor in June and was named to the Postseason All-Star team in September.

While earning those honors, Barth was developing a mindset that would ultimately define his career.

“In pro ball, you have to find your own routine,” he says. “You’re playing every day. Nobody’s telling you what to do. You’ve got to figure out what works for you.”

By his third year with the Canaries, he finally felt like he had.

Then, out of nowhere, something different came along.

A director of operations from the Banana Ball league reached out just weeks after the postseason ended, inviting Barth to a tryout. The opportunity came with an unusual twist: this wasn’t just baseball. It was baseball mixed with performance.

“I feel like it’s a hard thing not to like,” Barth says.

The tryout itself was unlike anything he had experienced. Players weren’t just evaluated on their swing and fielding ability, but also on their willingness to embrace the entertainment side of the game — including dancing.

“I knew we were going to have to dance,” Barth says. “I’m not a good dancer, so I was kind of dreading that. But everyone’s there for the same reason.”

At 27 years old, Barth found himself at a baseball tryout for the first time since high school, competing alongside nearly 100 other players all chasing something unconventional.

Then on Nov. 12, 2025, Barth was drafted by the Texas Tailgaters in the second round as the ninth overall pick.

“I never got that chance to be drafted,” Barth says. “So having a draft party with my friends and family for this — it was special.”

What he didn’t fully grasp until he got there was just how different the game itself would be.

“The speed,” Barth says. “It’s so fast. You’re playing nine innings in like an hour and 40 minutes with entertainment. You have to be ready at all times.”

There’s no stepping out of the batter’s box. No slowing the game down. Trick plays aren’t just encouraged — in some cases, they can directly impact the score.

“It’d be dumb not to try one most of the time,” Barth says.

But adjusting didn’t come easily.

“I was really, really bad in spring training with the trick plays,” he admits. “I couldn’t even do simple transfers clean. It was almost embarrassing.”

So he did what he’s always done — he found a way.

“I just put my head down for two weeks and figured it out,” he says.

That stretch became a turning point. By the time the season began, Barth wasn’t just keeping up — he was excelling.

In his first season, he continues to make an immediate impact. Barth played a crucial role in the Tailgaters’ success at the inaugural Banana Ball Open, going 5-for-11 with one home run, one stolen base and four trick play outs, ultimately earning him the title of MVP.

For those who have known Barth the longest, his success feels like it was inevitable, even if the setting is unexpected.

“Jordan’s the type of guy people want in a locker room,” former Augustana and Canaries teammate Seth Miller says. “He’s always got some sort of shtick and finds a way to make everyone laugh.”

Miller’s favorite memories of Barth often came in the biggest moments. Somehow, they almost always ended the same way.

“One of my favorite memories is him lifting me up on the field after a walk-off,” Miller says. “When he came up to bat in those moments, you just knew something was about to happen.”

It wasn’t just the hits; it was the presence. Whether it was a late-game at-bat or a dugout full of teammates waiting to celebrate, Barth had a way of turning pressure into something lighter, something fun — a trait that now feels tailor-made for Banana Ball.

Miller described Barth as someone who never changed, even as his career evolved.

“I wish I could tell you that he has made this huge change and turned into a different person,” Miller says. “But the reality is he’s still almost the exact same guy that I met in 2018. He’s almost always goofing around with someone.”

That consistency in both personality and performance is what has allowed Barth to succeed at every level he’s played.

Augustana head coach Tim Huber saw it early, even if Barth didn’t fit the typical profile of a professional prospect.

“He doesn’t check the boxes all the time,” Huber says. “But he just knows how to play the game. If you tell him he can’t do something, he’ll find a way to do it.”

Huber points to Barth’s development in college as a reflection of that mentality. After arriving as an under-the-radar freshman, Barth was moved to first base out of necessity — a position he had never played before. He went on to start every game of his collegiate career as an infielder.

“There was never a moment that was too big for him,” Huber says.

Even then, the personality that now defines his role in Banana Ball was already there.

Before the national championship game during his freshman season, Barth and a teammate broke the silence of a tense bus ride by loudly singing along to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”

“It loosened everything up,” Huber says. “That’s who he is.”

Today, that same energy plays out on a much larger stage.

Barth recalls walking into his first Banana Ball game at the Florida State stadium in Tallahassee, expecting nerves as he faced tens of thousands of fans.

“I thought I’d be on the verge of puking,” he says. “But I wasn’t nervous at all. I couldn’t even make myself nervous.”

Instead, he felt at home.

For a player who once wondered where he fit in the baseball world, Banana Ball has provided an answer: a place where skill, personality and creativity all matter.

“He gets to be the goofball that he is and get paid to do it,” Huber says. “That’s a full-circle moment.”

Barth doesn’t disagree.

Looking back, his career didn’t follow the script he once imagined. But in many ways, it led him somewhere better.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he says. “It might not be how you expect, but it all works out.”

And for Barth, it has — just not in the way anyone originally planned.