KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island baseball graduate Trystan Levesque was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 Banana Ball Player Draft on Thursday night. Levesque was the fourth pick of the fifth round.

Levesque was the 36th overall pick in this year's draft. The draft included eight selections in each of its 11 rounds. 

Banana Ball is a fast-growing spin on traditional baseball that focuses on entertaining fans. The league has six teams including the original unit Savannah Bananas. The league added two new teams this season; the Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Clowns. Each roster has 22 players. 

The draft incorporates both fan voting and coach selection. With the addition of the Coconuts and Clowns, the 2025 draft included the new rules for expansion teams. First, fans voted to retain three players to the league's existing franchises; the Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, and Texas Tailgaters. Second, coaches each selected eight players from their respective teams. Players that were not retained from the fan voting or coaches selections were eligible to be drafted by the other teams. 

Levesque was selected out of a wide ranging pool consisting of existing players, college players, other professional athletes, and players from Banana Ball's development team. 

The 2025 All-Atlantic 10 Second Team selection, Levesque finished his Rhode Island career as the program leader in career starts (52), second in career wins (24), second in strikeouts (310), and third in innings pitched (306.2). He started a program best 16 games in 2025 as a graduate student.

Levesque pitched to an 8-2 record in 2025 helping Rhode Island win the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles. The Rams earned a trip to the 2025 NCAA Baseball Championship as a No. 3 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional; the highest seed in program history.