Allen Signs with the Savannah Bananas Developmental Team
Savannah, GA - Reinhardt Baseball alumnus Brett Allen signed with the Savannah Bannas developmental team called "The Visitors" this week. If you are unfamiliar with the Savannah Bananas, they are a professional exhibition baseball team that travels the country, performing their unique brand of baseball, which they call "Banana Ball." The Visitors are a temporary team for players that the Bananas organization wants to develop for future seasons.
Allen is set to play games in Louisville, Kentucky, and Savannah, Georgia, through July. He is part of a 25-man roster that has been selected by the Bananas, filled with players that fit the Banana Ball model. After the summer games by the Visitors, the organization will decide where each of the players ends up. Besides the Bananas, the organization has three other teams that they play on a consistent basis. Those teams are the Party Animals, the Fire Fighters, and the Texas Tailgaters. The Bananas also play against some professional teams in their Challenger Series and some teams in the independent leagues.
The Savannah Bananas' popularity has skyrocketed over the past three years. The 2025 schedule had the Bananas playing a 40-game schedule, which they are calling their "World Tour" that has them playing in professional stadiums around the United States, including three NFL stadiums. Their latest game had them playing at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, in front of 148,000 fans over two nights.
If you had the pleasure of watching Brett Allen play the past two years for the Eagles, and you watch him while he is off the field, you know that he will fit in perfectly with the Bananas. Allen was a top-notch pitcher for Reinhardt Baseball the past two seasons, who fanned many batters with his deadly side-armed pitch. His approach to the game is very laid-back, and he constantly keeps the other players loose with his flamboyant comedic style. However, do not confuse this style with a lack of focus and performance. Allen was one of the top pitchers for Coach Jonathan Burton's squad, playing in many different roles while he was on the mound. Anything that he was asked to do, whether it was to be a starter, a mid-relief multi-inning pitcher, or a closer, Allen always got the job done.
Former Baseball Head Coach and current Executive Director of Athletics of Reinhardt University, Jonathan Burton, added this about Allen, "Brett was an important piece of our success over the last two seasons. The roles he filled for the team allowed us to make history in our program for two consecutive years. We will forever remember the many saves and appearances, but none bigger than his complete game start at the NAIA World Series last season." He continues, "It is hard to find someone who is as comfortable in big moments as he is; this is exactly where he needs to be. He will flourish, and I look forward to watching him represent Reinhardt baseball on one of the most popular stages right now. We wish him nothing but the best, and I am thankful he chose us to start his journey."
Allen finishes his career with the Eagles with a 2024 NAIA World Series appearance, two NAIA Opening Round appearances, an Opening Round Championship, two Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) regular season championships, and the program record for saves in a season (11). He had an overall win-loss record of 10-3, 19 total saves, 146 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.01.
Stay tuned to the Reinhardt Athletics Instagram account for updates on Allen's progress with the Bananas. We should know where he ends up sometime in October this year, once the summer Banana Ball season is over. Good luck, Brett Allen - we know the organization is going to love your style of baseball!
The Bananas can be followed on all social media accounts, including YouTube: SAVANNAH BANANAS. Most of their games are streamed on their YouTube channel, but they also have contracted games on ESPN and ESPN2.