No matter how long Dave Dawson is the head baseball coach at Arkansas Tech University, there’s probably only one player who will ever be allowed to wear a pink glove.
But there’s only one Riyan Rodriguez.
The California native overcame a potentially career-ending back injury to land a spot as a pitcher on the Wonder Boys’ roster and become a first-generation college graduate from Arkansas Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
Rodriguez added a master’s degree in biology from Missouri State University and was accepted to multiple medical schools, but a social media video of him singing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a game turned his life in a different direction.
Representatives from an up-and-coming sports entertainment entity named the Savannah Bananas saw the video, and before he knew it, Rodriguez was pitching for the Bananas’ rival, the Party Animals.
“It’s right up my alley,” said Rodriguez when asked about Banana Ball. “It feels like they made the game for me.”
Rodriguez’s path to Banana Ball stardom began at Driveline Baseball, a training facility in Seattle, Wash. It was there that he recovered from a fractured back he suffered in junior college. His fast ball climbed above 90 miles per hour and the college offers started arriving.
“I never thought I’d end up in Arkansas,” said Rodriguez. “I didn’t know anything about it, but I went on a visit, saw (Arkansas Tech) and met Coach Dawson. I fell in love with the school. He gave me a chance when nobody else did. I had offers from other schools, but I had never felt wanted by any one particular school. I felt wanted (at Tech). I felt like it was the right fit, and it was. I had a blast. It was the best college experience ever.”
Rodriguez made 21 pitching appearances, including 18 starts, while playing for the Wonder Boys in 2020 and 2021. On May 8, 2021, in his final appearance at home, Rodriguez limited Southeastern Oklahoma State University to one run on two hits over seven innings to help the Wonder Boys win 11-1 and secure a share of the Great American Conference regular season championship.
“That was the highlight of my career,” said Rodriguez. “I graduated and threw my first complete game in one day. It was awesome. I’ll never forget that. I don’t think I’ll ever beat that day.”
That’s saying a lot. Rodriguez has been a part of some remarkable experiences as a Party Animals pitcher.
Banana Ball has become a fixture in ESPN programming. Games are sold out the moment tickets become available. Rodriguez has pitched at Major League Baseball stadiums such as Fenway Park. He was just a few days removed from pitching in front of more than 70,000 people at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., when he expressed those fond recollections of Arkansas Tech.
“You can ask Coach Dawson…I’ve always been a goof ball on the field,” said Rodriguez. “I’ve always been that person who likes to joke around and mess around a lot. Coach Dawson will tell you straight up, I’ve always been kind of a maniac. The transition to Banana Ball was easy for me. (Dawson) tried to hold me back a little bit, but toward the end he let me run loose and do my thing. I’ve never been that traditional don’t show emotion, don’t have fun kind of baseball player.”
But don’t let the dancing, the trick plays and the other antics be misleading. The quality of the competition might be Banana Ball’s secret ingredient. This isn’t the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals. There aren’t any scripts for what takes place while the ball is in play.
“When you’re playing against the same group of guys every week, you get some internal rivalries, for sure, and it means a lot,” said Rodriguez. “Everybody playing is ex-professionals. My right fielder was a first-round draft pick, so that desire to still be great and win is more than there. We get to mess around and have fun, but when it comes down to game time and that pitch is thrown it’s all business.
“The hardest part for me has been the speed of the game,” continued Rodriguez. “We have to throw a pitch every 4-to-6 seconds. When you’re having a bad outing, it snowballs really fast. When you’re having a good outing, you can get out of the inning in a minute and 30 seconds.”
As much as Rodriguez loves to play the game and compete, his favorite aspect of being a Party Animal takes place before they turn on the stadium lights.
“I would say, for me, easily, the best part is being able to interact with kids and fans,” said Rodriguez. “When we are at Bananas games, we spend a good hour before each game hanging out with fans and signing memorabilia for them. At Party Animal games, we do it afterward. It was 20 years ago, but I remember being that age and looking up to these people. They looked like super heroes to me. You get your ball signed, and that feeling you get when you see this giant person sign your ball…it’s unbelievable. Being able to share that and give back to those kids means everything.”
Rodriguez’s fans-first approach is among the reasons he is in his second season as a Party Animal. That opportunity has allowed him to observe and learn from Jesse Cole, the visionary entrepreneur and showman who invented Banana Ball and has propelled it to once unthinkable success.
“Jesse is…I don’t even have a word to explain Jesse,” said Rodriguez. “He is one of the most hard-working, crazy people I’ve ever met in my entire life. The guy wakes up every morning at like 4:30 or 5 a.m. and runs however many miles he runs. Then, he’s at the stadium from 7 a.m. until midnight or 1 a.m. sometimes. The guy’s brain never stops working. Surrounding yourself with people that are just constant, go-getting, never stop, keep working hard…that environment cultivates success. I love being around it. Everybody here has that same mindset. It’s really cool.”
A former child actor, Rodriguez has extended his entertainment platform from the baseball diamond to social media. He has almost 50,000 followers on TikTok and more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
“I feel like it came pretty natural to me,” said Rodriguez. “We are encouraged to post as much as we can on social media, but it’s fun for me. I get ideas in my head, and having the free rein to have all these teammates around me and make fun content…it’s a dream come true for me. I get to use my brain and make some fun stuff.”
The party doesn’t go on forever…not even for a Party Animal. Banana Ball and everything that goes with it is a young man’s game. Rodriguez knows that, but he hopes that when his time on the pitcher’s mound is complete he can continue to find new ways to spread joy.
“I’ve always loved entertaining and being able to put a smile on people’s faces,” said Rodriguez. “I hope I can play Banana Ball for the next 10 years, but I probably won’t be. I don’t know where I’ll be after this, but I’d love to take all these skills I’ve learned and keep putting smiles on people’s faces because I love it. It’s fun.”
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the fall 2025 edition of the Tech Action magazine from the Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association. Visit techactionline.com to view the complete issue.
