Andy Archer, pitcher for the Savannah Bananas, Is Living A Dream

Standing on a baseball mound, AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blasting to a packed stadium, pitcher Andy Archer—6 feet, 5 inches, and 230 pounds—breaks into choreographed movement. As he mimics the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ dance to the rock anthem, the crowd erupts.

This isn’t exactly what Archer, BA 21, had in mind.

Yes, Archer hoped to one day stand on the mound of a professional baseball stadium and stare into the catcher’s mitt with thousands of anxious eyes peering upon him. As a kid growing up in Duluth, Georgia, playing baseball was all he ever wanted.

To be certain, Andy Archer is living that dream but in a way he never imagined as a kid.

He’s a pitcher with the Savannah Bananas, the quirky independent base-ball team seizing the nation’s attention with “Banana Ball”—its unapologetic marriage of America’s grand pastime with unconventional rules, on-field antics, and, yes, a dance or two.

And Archer is here for all of it. Every shenanigan. Every gag. Every pitch. Every moment with a young fan. Every flight and bus ride and hotel room.

“There’s no one else in the world who does what we do,” Archer says. “And it’s awesome.”

Entering Bananaland

In mid-2023, just as Banana Ball began exploding in national popularity, Archer learned about the Bananas from his parents. Watching one online clip after another, he became fascinated by a group many were calling the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.

“I just saw a bunch of guys having the time of their lives,” he says.

Archer paid his little sister’s roommate $100 to compile a highlight tape featuring his top plays and interviews. He sent it into the Bananas’ front office; a team staff member soon after called with a tryout offer.

He impressed enough during his November 2023 audition that the Bananas signed him to a four-month temporary contract beginning in January.

By early spring, Archer’s on-field play coupled with his fun-loving personality earned him a full-year contract with the club. In 2024, Archer and the Bananas played before more than 1 million fans in 82 games across 21 states, including six MLB stadiums. The season wrapped up in October with Bananaland at Sea, a sold-out cruise to the Bahamas with the Bananas.

His Instagram feed (@arch-daddeh24) verifies that claim. His “Thunderstruck” dance has been viewed more than 1.5 million times. He captured notoriety for recording a three-out inning in 61 seconds. He shared behind-the-scenes clips of his Bananas teammates as well as earnest instructional videos for young ballplayers, delivering tips on daily throwing drills and tossing a more effective four-seam fastball.

Archer's Evolution

Archer seemed destined to attend Georgia Tech. Both of his parents (Glenn, Mgt 91, and Jill, Mgt 93) as well as his grandfathers (Jim Archer, CerE 64, MS CerE 67, and H. Milton Stewart, IE 61, HON PhD 21) graduated from Tech. The School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, in fact, bears Stewart’s name.

Tech baseball Coach Danny Hall, whose sons played high school ball with Archer, monitored Archer’s athletic evolution. Hall, now in his 31st year at Tech, saw Archer’s height as a plus and thought the young hurler had compelling potential if he added muscle to his slight frame. As a recruited walk-on, Archer captured a spot on Tech’s 2017 roster as a developmental prospect with a positive attitude and industrious approach.

“The rest of the credit goes to him,” Hall says of Archer. “Andy worked day in and day out to earn opportunities.”

After pitching nine total innings as a freshman, Archer leveraged nutrition and weight training to add a healthy 30 pounds. As a sophomore, he began hitting the low 90s with his fastball and established himself as one of Hall’s most reliable bullpen arms.

Following disjointed 2019 and 2020 campaigns due to "Tommy John" surgery and the Covid-19 pandemic, Archer authored a memorable fifth and final season at Tech as a starting pitcher. His Yellow Jacket career concluded with a 121-pitch complete game shutout against Indiana State in a win-or-go-home NCAA Regional contest in Nashville.

Becoming A Banana

Though Archer had hopes of getting selected in the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, 20 rounds came and went. Lacking a professional opportunity, Archer enrolled at the University of Hawaii to use his final year of baseball eligibility and earn a master’s degree in finance.

After the season, he stayed in Hawaii. He worked in financial planning at a hotel. He surfed everyday. Baseball faded into the background.

While in Hawaii, Archer also be-came involved in youth ministry. He remembers challenging one young man to consider how he might best utilize his God-given gifts. Archer realized he needed to ask himself the same question.

“And I felt terrible, like I was falling short,” he says. That’s when Archer found the Savannah Bananas and began training to join them. After a full workday, Archer hiked in the Hawaiian mountains to build cardio and fired baseballs at a park fence to increase his arm strength and fortify his mechanics. At his Bananas tryout, he showcased both his physical talents and his gregarious personality, which came as little surprise to his former coach.

“Andy loves playing ball and is a kid at heart,” Hall says. “I’m sure that’s exactly what the Bananas saw, too.”

Now, Archer’s bringing that to a national phenomenon that continues to energize fans around the country.

“The Bananas’ culture is all about celebrating the game and trying new things,” Archer says. “No two shows are the same, and everyone is committed to putting on the best brand of Banana Ball possible.”

And for Archer, that’s the real dream come true.

Banana Ball Explained

Banana Ball is a fast-paced version of traditional baseball that’s focused on the fan experience. Games often involve choreographed dances, elaborate scoring celebrations, and in-game antics, such as a hitter and pitcher standing on 10-foot-tall stilts. The sport has 11 unique rules:

Rule 1: Win the inning, get the point.

Rule 2: Two-hour time limit.

Rule 3: No stepping out of the batter’s box.

Rule 4: No bunting. If a hitter bunts, they’re ejected.

Rule 5: Batters can steal first.

Rule 6: No walks allowed. If a pitcher throws ball four, the hitter sprints to try to advance as many bases as they want while every defensive player on the field must touch the ball before it becomes live.

Rule 7: No mound visits allowed.

Rule 8: If a fan catches a foul ball, it’s an out.

Rule 9: Showdown tie-breaker. If a game is tied at the end of the two-hour limit, the teams compete in a special showdown tie-breaker.

Rule 10: The banana ball challenge rule. Each team is allowed to challenge one ruling. To challenge, the coach must throw their challenge prop on the field before the next pitch.

Rule 11: The golden batter rule. Once per game, a team may send any hitter in the lineup to bat in any spot.