Setting a career record 30 home runs for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League and hitting a 18 total of home runs this season with the Florence Y’alls in the Frontier League, Brendan Bobo is unstoppable. The LMU Alum was the third pick in the second round of the 2027 Banana Ball Player Draft, joining the Party Animals. But how did he get here?
Born and raised in a small town of Santa Cruz, California, Bobo graduated high school in 2020 and began his Division I baseball career with California State University, Fullerton. “I wasn’t sure what I was about to step into at Cal State Fullerton for three years. At Fullerton, it really taught me toughness. It was a blessing, but also built me who I am today,” said Bobo.
During Bobo’s three years at Fullerton, he was in and out of the lineup and was not playing in as many games as he had hoped. His limited play time led him to transfer to LMU in 2024 for his senior year. “It was a hard decision for me because a lot of my brothers were there and I met some of my lifelong friends at Fullerton. That was kind of the first step where I decided to put myself first and do what was best for my career,” Bobo said on his time as a Titan.
And it was love at first sight.
From his teammates, the coaching staff, professors, and overall community he built, everything about his new home on the bluff felt unreal to him. He credits LMU Baseball’s coaching staff helping him to take the next step in his career and his time there is where he learned more about himself outside of the diamond. Bobo also finds himself visiting campus through the year to hang out with old teammates.
He had an impressive season at LMU, batting a .317 average with 12 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a total of 63 hits. However, Bobo did not get drafted to the MLB. His identity was fully in the sport and the abrupt change was challenging to accept. “Losing that and I dealt with some off the field issues, my personal life, and being from a small town where all your friends are in Los Angeles, I felt isolated,” said Bobo.
Losing all motivation, Bobo wanted to walk away from baseball. Nonetheless, he had a support system that believed in him when he did not believe in himself. They encouraged him to continue playing independent baseball.
Originally, Bobo was apprehensive about his new baseball path. “I really overlooked it. Independent baseball is a good league and I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but it was not,” said Bobo.
In 2025, he joined an independent baseball team called the Florence Y’alls in Kentucky. In his second season with them in 2026, he had a .290 average with 18 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 104 hits. The Florence Y’alls made it to the Frontier League Playoffs this year, but lost to the Washington Wild Things in the Wild Card Series.
Coming from the West Coast, Bobo immersed himself in the state’s southern charm, living with a host family and building relationships with new people he’d never expected to meet in his life. “It was one of the best times in my life being out in Florence. People were questioning, oh but it’s Kentucky, but honestly it was beautiful. I loved it,” said Bobo.
After two seasons dedicated to the Florence Y’alls, Bobo baseball story continues with the Party Animals of the Banana Ball Championship League.
The BBCL is a professional baseball league based in Savannah, Georgia. The league was announced at the Banana Ball World Tour City Draft on October 3rd, 2024. 2026 marked the league’s inaugural season with six teams: the Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals, the Firefighters, the Texas Tailgaters, the Loco Beach Coconuts, and the Indianapolis Clowns.
Prior to the 2027 Banana Ball Player Draft, the process was a trek. “The process was really stressful but it also was super dope. The process is thousands of people applying to get a tryout. Then only 280 people get a tryout opportunity. There’s one in Cypress, Los Angeles, Texas and Savannah and 70 people at each,” Bobo said on the tryout process. From there, the organization invites those who have been selected into the draft where the number shortens to 60 people. From there, 30 to 35 players are picked.
On draft day, many thoughts and emotions flooded through Bobo’s head when he heard his name being called. “I remember when I landed and I was downstairs in the lobby interacting with all the players. I was looking around and was like ‘oh my gosh there’s so much good talent here.’ I had to go upstairs to my room. I woke up the day of the draft super nervous, I was calling people trying to get my mind off of the draft,” said Bobo.
That night, Bobo saw the top six prospects available in the first round, but his name was not on there. At that moment, he thought he was not getting drafted and as the night progressed he had heard some rumors, but he could only believe so much. Later, he saw the top six prospects for the second round and saw his name on the list.
“I was like, oh, I might get this. I remember sweating, but it was super fun. Honestly, I kind of blacked out a little bit,” said Bobo.
From collegiate baseball to independent professional baseball and now being a part of a baseball league that combines the two plus a dash of creativity, Bobo’s background in the sport will translate into an entertainment style of play that is fast paced and fan focused.
Two days after the draft, Bobo played in the All Star game and experienced a different kind of ball game. “It’s like improv. The rules are all fun, but our biggest thing is putting the fans first and getting them involved,” said Bobo.
“Banana Ball is a fast-paced, fans-first version of baseball unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Created by the Savannah Bananas, Banana Ball is packed with 11 unique rules designed to keep the action non-stop and the crowd on their feet from the first pitch to the last out. From the no-walks rule to the point-per-inning system, every aspect of Banana Ball is designed with one goal in mind to entertain the fans”
– Banana Ball, bananaball.com
With his new path in baseball, Bobo continues to take opportunities to meet new people such as the fans he interacts with. Throughout his professional career, he has had numerous milestones year after year. While Bobo chases after his dreams, at the end of the day he is just happy doing what he loves.
“I want to be able to see where it takes me and see where it leads, but at the same time just remember being on the field and I only just got a glimpse of it.
You can watch the LMU Lion turned Banana Ball Party Animal on the 2027 Banana Ball World Tour. Join the interest list to be notified if any tickets become available.
