Baseball has long been America’s pastime. From Sunday church leagues to the major leagues, the sport is enjoyed by all ages. Recently, "Banana Ball" has been making waves.
Banana Ball is an exciting, fan-focused twist on traditional baseball that combines athletic competition with nonstop entertainment. The game features a strict two-hour time limit and unique rules—including no walks or bunts, fan-caught foul balls counting as outs, and other fast-paced elements—creating an interactive, high-energy experience unlike any other baseball game.
LSU alumnus Joey Gardner (2025 BACH BUS) is no stranger to baseball, having played in high school. He worked with the LSU baseball team as social media manager, but he was new to Banana Ball.
“Interning with the Savannah Bananas was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and one of the most enjoyable summers of my life. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity,” Gardner said.
He first became interested in an internship with the Georgia-based Bananas when he helped in the merchandise station during the weekend of their 2023 show at LSU’s Alex Box Stadium. From there, he was able to form relationships with full-time employees of the Bananas, who encouraged him to apply for the college summer program. “I applied for the program and got accepted,” Gardner said. “There were only five of us that summer in the program, outside of the regular interns who were focused on specific departments.”
Gardner is from Fairfax, Va., a suburb of Washington D.C. Originally, he was going to attend Liberty University in Lynchburg to play baseball. Both his father and grandfather graduated from Liberty.
However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Liberty’s baseball team wasn’t accepting as many students on the team, so Gardner’s plans changed. He started classes at LSU in 2021. With all the opportunities offered, Gardner said he was happy for the detour to LSU. “Coming to Louisiana was 100% a culture shock, but that’s what I asked for,” Gardner said.
In his junior and senior years, Gardner had the opportunity to work with LSU Athletics. He worked in social media for the baseball team, but Gardner also ran the football’s and men’s basketball social media accounts as well. He closely watched the LSU Baseball Tigers' 2025 national championship, celebrating with the fans and the team as they held the College World Series’ trophy over their heads.
“I work with clients on two fronts: offensive and defensive,” Gardner said. “Offensive is the investment side, like opening new accounts to grow money. While defensive is establishing proper risk management plans for individuals, including emergency funds and income replacement plans. With my clients, I really value the hour meetings we have. I want to build as much of a connection as I can with the client in front of me.”
Gardner plans to return to LSU to earn his MBA. Using the lessons learned from his internships, from LSU Athletics to the Savannah Bananas to Northwestern Mutual, Gardner said he is ready for the rigor and work required to get the graduate degree, not just for his own professional development, but to be the best version of himself for his clients.