How Noah Niznik went from Redhawk to Banana

Southeast Missouri State pitcher Noah Niznik celebrates throwing a strikeout against Butler on Friday at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

What was made official on Thursday, Dec. 7, began taking place in July, a month for Southeast Missouri State alum Noah Niznik where one path to the dream closed and another opened.

After the Redhawks were knocked out of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament this past May, the focus for Niznik was set on getting selected in the MLB Draft, which took place during the All-Star Break in the middle of July.

Around the same time the draft came and went without his name mentioned by any of the 30 big league teams, Niznik was contacted by Berry Aldridge, Baseball Operations Coordinator of the Savannah Bananas, inviting him to a try-out in Dallas, which led to a contract to join their merry band of characters.

A major component of making the Bananas is submitting a video that shows the personality behind the pitcher. Niznik pitched 4 1/2 seasons for the Redhawks, including being a key part of their two-straight OVC championship runs. He finished his senior year with a 3.94 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 80 innings.

More importantly, Niznik was known for a flamboyancy that some would describe as swagger. That was what needed to be displayed and sent to the Bananas, and fortunately, he had help with the audition tape.

"The video was a big part of it," Niznik said. "My girlfriend [former SEMO gymnast Lydia Test] helped me coordinate it. She was pretty much the one that drew it up for me. They know what you can do with a baseball. They wanted to see the other side, like what you can do to be fun, a couple of trick plays, just pretty much show that you have the characteristics and the quality to be a part of the team."

Essentially, the Bananas want to know if Niznik can throw some trickery like in "Semi-Pro" and dance like in "Magic Mike".

"My former teammates know a lot about me, what I like to do on and off the field," Niznik said. "They all agreed, even the coaches, that this is perfect for me. Fans-wise, a lot of them that I've talked to, see me always dancing in the dugout, having fun whenever I'm on the field. So I think a lot of the fans can see me fitting in pretty well with this."

The Bananas were originally a collegiate summer baseball team in the Coastal Plain League's (CPL) West division from 2016-22, with entertainment being the goal on top of winning. After building a brand that was bigger than the league they won three championships in, the Bananas went independent and became baseball's modern-day traveling circus. They and the Party Animals, the Washington Generals to their Harlem Globetrotters, traveled the country playing games that commanded sellouts and viral skits on the field. You can see a pitcher in stilts or a fastball literally be on fire from wind-up to the catcher's mitt. You'll even see the entire infield dance before a pitch. MLB legends have made appearances, and some of the players have turned into social media stars off the strength of their personality, more so than their skills.

"At the same time, it's still competitive baseball," Niznik said. "A lot of people will come up to me when I'm talking to them about it, they say it's like the Harlem Globetrotters. Yes and no. They have their scripts

for their entertainment and dances but the games aren't scripted. They're still competitive, they're still trying to win. They're not scripting out who wins the game."

While SEMO has a recent legacy of players making it to the big leagues, Niznik being the first to join Banana Ball could open the path for more Redhawks to take that route. The Cape Catfish, a Prospect League summer collegiate team, has also implemented characteristics of personality and a friend-friendly feel to Capaha Field.

"There's a lot of guys at SEMO that like to have fun playing," Niznik said. "They like to goof off, dance, and all that stuff. If they match up and they want to go for it, I try to tell them to go for it. Why not?"

There is now a third team involved in the Banana Ball World Tour known as the Firefighters. The World Tour will not be stopping by St. Louis in 2024 but will be nearby in the summer when they play at Nashville on June 13-15.