BATON ROUGE - "Banana Ball" is clearly a hit in the Capital Area.

The Savannah Bananas have counted the applications for tickets to see the team on its 2024 world tour, and the demand from Baton Rouge is near the very top of the list.

More than 142,000 people entered the ticket lottery, hoping for a chance to catch one of three appearances in March at Alex Box Stadium.

Capacity at Alex Box is slightly more than 10,000 spectators, so only a fraction of those who submitted their names will be able to attend.

The deadline to apply was Dec. 1. By mid-January, those selected in the lottery will be notified that they may purchase up to four tickets to one of the three games being staged at LSU's baseball stadium.

The site was included on the upcoming world tour when dates were announced in early October.

The Bananas will play their traditional opponent, the "Party Animals," in all three contests.

The team is known for its fun and games on the field -- a baseball take on the Harlem Globetrotters, with flaming bats, pitchers on stilts and backflips in the outfield.

Houston took the top spot on the list of cities with highest demand for tickets. More than 158,000 applied to catch the Bananas there.

Boston placed second, with 145,000 applicants.