{"id":7431,"date":"2026-01-27T10:07:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=7431"},"modified":"2026-01-27T10:07:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:07:54","slug":"im-a-baseball-player-but-this-is-the-part-of-me-i-dont-joke-about-the-room-walked-in-expecting-pure-chaos-his-texas-tailgaters-teammates-lined-u","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=7431","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI\u2019m a baseball player\u2026 but this is the part of me I don\u2019t joke about.\u201d The room walked in expecting pure chaos \u2014 his Texas Tailgaters teammates lined up for a rowdy line dance, and even Luke Bryan jumped in for a few moves. But the second Jayson Arendt grabbed his guitar and started \u201cFire Away Lionel Richie praised him for having a distinctive sound they hadn\u2019t heard yet this season, while Carrie Underwood pushed him to take this side of himself even more seriously \u2014 to emote, to go deeper. Then came three yeses\u2026 and a Golden Ticket for the guy who made them laugh first, and listen after. WATCH VIDEO BELOW \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AMERICAN IDOL: Banana Ball Player Earns Golden Ticket With Chris Stapleton Cover<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Jayson Arendt covered Chris Stapleton for his American Idol audition. (Photo credit: ABC\/American Idol)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Jayson Arendt, an entertainment baseball player with the Banana Ball League, earned three yesses with his\u00a0American Idol\u00a0<\/em>audition.<\/h2>\n

Season 24 of American Idol is officially underway! The first stop of this season\u2019s auditions was Belmont University\u2019s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville.<\/p>\n

The two-hour premiere episode featured auditions from 18 hopefuls as well as surprise guest appearances. Country star Brad Paisley showed up to help Luke Bryan pull off an epic prank on Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie. And last season\u2019s finalist Breanna Nix accompanied 15-year-old Tate Emmons to his audition.<\/p>\n

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As fans have come to expect, the audition showcased talent from every imaginable genre and musical style. It also brought out some memorable personalities and stories.<\/p>\n

Among those was Jayson Arendt, a singer-turned-baseball player. Arendt has amassed an impressive social media following thanks to his involvement with the Texas Tailgaters, a Banana Ball League team.<\/p>\n

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Several of his Texas Tailgaters teammates joined him for his audition and brought their energy to the room with a rowdy line dance. Luke Bryan hopped in to show off his dance moves before Arendt sang.<\/p>\n

Jayson Arendt delivered a performance of Chris Stapleton\u2019s \u201cFire Away.\u201d<\/h2>\n

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The 24-year-old North Carolina native accompanied himself on guitar for the soulful cover of the Chris Stapleton hit as his teammates cheered him on.<\/p>\n

Lionel Richie was the first to address the singer and told him he has a nice, distinctive voice, something they didn\u2019t have yet this season.<\/p>\n

Carrie Underwood was a little more hesitant to approve Arendt, saying that she would like to see him take \u201cthis part\u201d of himself and take it more seriously. \u201cYou guys are obviously so much fun. I love it, and I want to feel you emote. I want to hear more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, all three judges agreed and sent the baseball player through with a Golden Ticket.<\/p>\n

See Jayson Arendt\u2019s audition performance of \u201cFire Away\u201d in the video below.<\/strong><\/p>\n