Former UGA football player gets Kirby Smart shoutout at Savannah Bananas game

Jake Skole, who was a first-round pick in the 2010 MLB draft before playing football at UGA, got a special shoutout when he appeared with the Party Animals in Truist Park on Friday.

A video recorded by Georgia coach Kirby Smart played on the screen before Smart walked out with a black Georgia jersey to hand to Skole.

“Who would’ve thought it, man?” Smart said, noting that Skole is a native of Roswell and went to Blessed Trinity. Skole originally committed to play football and baseball for Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Texas Rangers.

“I felt like I was spinning wheels some in baseball and I did not want that window for football to close up,” Skole told 247Sports in 2016. “Kirby was the first one to reach out to me, once baseball season ended and he made it seem like he would really like to have me a lot. He gave me the basic stuff for a recruit, but it was funny doing it all over again five years later, it was fun though.”

Skole, who was a defensive back for the Bulldogs, appeared in two games during the Bulldogs’ 2018 and 2019 seasons.

The Party Animals are part of the Savannah Bananas’ Banana Ball league. Friday’s game was the first time the Party Animals had appeared in a major league stadium.

The Party Animals will play the Bananas on Saturday and Sunday in Truist. Both games are sold out but will be streamed on YouTube