On a warm spring evening in March, with more than 45,000 Savannah Bananas fans cheering him on, Biola alumnus RobertAnthony Cruz (’21) stepped to home plate at a sold-out Angel Stadium, bright yellow bat in hand.

The next night, in front of more than 2,500 people on Biola’s Metzger Lawn — dozens of them wearing his jersey — he stepped to a podium, this time with a worn Bible in hand.

“Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ,” he told the crowd. “It’s such a cool thing to play in all of these stadiums. It really is. It’s a blessing, and I enjoy every moment of it. But nothing compares to the greatness of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Coach RAC speaking at the Sandlot Revival

Cruz, better known to millions of Banana Ball fans as “Coach RAC,” made his return to Biola as part of the Sandlot Revival, a series of worship nights he’s hosting with teammates at stops along the Savannah Bananas’ latest tour.

The events grew out of a friendship between Cruz and fellow alumnus Mehki Key (B.A. ’22), who earned a degree in worship arts from Biola.

The pair met in college during the Fall 2018 semester and formed a close bond after serving together in ministry. After Biola, their paths separated. Cruz was drafted by the Washington Nationals before his final semester — just a few classes shy of completing his degree in Christian ministries — and eventually became a star player for the Bananas.

Key went on to serve in the U.S. Army. In 2025, while stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia, he was hospitalized with an injury and found himself at a mental and emotional low.

“I reached out to RobertAnthony because now we were in the same city, but at this point he’s hard to get ahold of because he’s a big deal,” Key said. “But as soon as I said, ‘Hey brother, I need you,’ he gave me a phone call and told me to come to Bible study.”

Key took him up on the offer, joining Cruz and his teammates for a gathering around God’s Word. When Key asked if he could lead them in worship, Cruz responded enthusiastically, saying they had been praying for a worship leader.

Reunited and sensing God at work, they began to envision the Bible study becoming something more — an opportunity to reach people across the nation with worship, a call to follow Jesus and an encouragement to connect to a local church community.

In March 2026, the duo began to host the first of many Sandlot Revival events. As the Bananas tour the country, the Sandlot Revival crew organizes gatherings on off days. At each stop, usually a church, Key leads worship and Cruz shares his testimony and a message from Scripture, sometimes accompanied by teammates.

At Biola’s Sandlot Revival gathering on March 29, families from across Southern California descended on Metzger Lawn, bringing lawn chairs, blankets and Little Leaguers eager to hear from their role model.

“You can achieve all the dreams that you have in this life, but if you do so without your Creator, you’re going to have a God-shaped hole in your heart,” Cruz told them. “Unless you are doing life in step with the Spirit, you are not going to be fulfilled in this life.”