Savannah Bananas phenom Coach RAC shares life lessons with students

When Savannah Bananas baseball player RobertAnthony Cruz (known to most by his nickname Coach RAC) took the Convocation stage at Liberty University on Wednesday, he was welcomed by a sea of students all wearing yellow T-shirts.

In the same spirit of fun and entertainment that his current team provides to millions at sold-out games in large stadiums across the country, Liberty provided 9,000 shirts to students, turning the Vines Center yellow for the Convocation. Before Coach RAC taught students the “Hey Baby” dance, a Savannah Bannas staple, he sat down for an interview with Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge, who also got in on the fun in a banana-themed jacket.

Cruz has gained fame on the Bananas for his backflip catches in left field and has garnered a large following on social media, where he often shares Bible readings and devotions. He first gained internet fame when he shared a heartwarming video of him visiting his father at work to tell him he had been signed to the Washington Nationals. The video went viral.

Cruz said he originally dreamed of becoming a professional gymnast, but he switched his passion to baseball at the age of 9 when his dad brought him to a baseball field in Southern California. From that point on, he dreamed of playing professionally.

He played at University of California, Riverside and Biola University, but he began to feel convicted that he had built his identity entirely on his sport and his popularity instead of finding his comfort in being a child of God. He responded by joining small groups and connecting with a local church.

“I found the more time I spent getting to know God, the more I craved community with other believers and craved spending time with God,” he said. “My time at Biola really reshaped how I viewed myself and it also gave me hope that I didn’t have to achieve my dreams in baseball for me to be content as a human being, and I can find true joy and peace in Jesus.”

In 2021, after his surprise offer from the Nationals, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend the following weekend and flew to Florida for spring training.

The major league transition proved to be difficult for Cruz, and he developed a serious case of the yips. Despite the excitement of being a professional baseball player, his nervousness led to struggles on the field.

“I was already uncomfortable with the fact that I (was) sitting in a locker room, surrounded by people I grew up watching play on TV,” he said. “It’s such an elite group of people.  To see myself as an equal and as a competitor, it was hard for me to get there. I feel like I had serious imposter syndrome.”

After a poor showing in his first spring training game, he listened to the advice of a man in his small group and decided to abandon any fears of what people may think of him.

“I didn’t need to see myself succeeding all the time,” he said. “I needed to envision myself failing and being OK with it. I needed to see that God still sees me as His beloved child, regardless of whether or not I make the throw, regardless of whether or not I make it to the major leagues. Regardless of how my baseball career pans out, God is concerned with my heart and wants relationship with me.”

Through this simple mindset change, Cruz found improvement in his play. Nonetheless, he was cut from the team only two weeks into spring training and left searching for what was next. Fueled by the life lessons he had gained through his brief time in the MLB, he began making baseball coaching videos to help aspiring athletes reach their full potential.

In 2023, after a year of content creation, he was asked by a friend to consider applying for the Bananas. He joined the squad in 2024.

On July 13, the three-year anniversary of his signing with the Nationals, Cruz hit a “walk-off” homerun to win the seventh inning in a bout against the Firefighters in front of 42,000 fans at a sold-out Nationals Park.

“It was euphoric,” he said. “I remember hitting the ball, and immediately after I was watching it go out and kept repeating, ‘There’s no way. There’s no way.’ It was unbelievable, but at this point God had brought me on such a journey and I was so content where God had me. It was like an added blessing I didn’t even need.”

“The most fulfilling thing for my soul was not even achieving the dreams I hoped to achieve. The most fulfilling thing for my soul is getting to do life every day with a God who loves me,” he added.

Since that moment, Cruz has continued to compete with the Bananas and bring happiness to families and fans across the nation. Yet, he continues to find his worth not in his occupation but in his identity in Christ.

“I encourage all of you wholeheartedly to pursue your dreams and work hard,” he told the students. “God has gifted each one of you in a specific way. Each of you have a calling on your life. In our team Bible study, we’ve been working through Ephesians, and it’s so clear that every person has a very specific calling over their life. You are God’s workmanship, created for good works. There are specific things that are for you to do. When you walk in those good works God has prepared for you beforehand, you will have this overwhelming joy, peace, and contentment for your soul that is not hinged on how you perform or your successes. That is available to you right now in Christ Jesus.”

Through his platform on the Bananas, Cruz has remained vocal about his faith. He currently attends a Bible study with more than 50 players in the Banana Ball Championship League. He has also partnered with local churches to help organize worship nights outside of stadiums before games, with over 17 events scheduled for the 2026 season.