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Andy Archer on the pitcher’s mound at a Savannah Bananas game. (Photo courtesy: Fans First Entertainment)
From the pitcher’s mound to the boardroom, Andy Archer (MS ’22) is proving that leadership, impact and aloha can thrive wherever your cleats land. The former University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa baseball standout and current pitcher with the wildly popular Savannah Bananas, blends his passion for baseball, a sharp mind for finance and heart for community.
Archer arrived at UH Mānoa already balancing high expectations—both as a Division I athlete and an aspiring business leader. He recalls that it was the robust offerings of the Shidler College of Business, particularly the master of science program that drew him in.
“I was immediately drawn to Shidler because of the diverse range of master’s degree programs,” Archer said. “I recognized the opportunity to pursue an elite graduate degree while playing baseball for one of the most competitive collegiate programs in the country—it was an absolute no-brainer.”
As a student at Shidler, Archer immersed himself in team-based learning and real-world applications. An impactful lesson came from a real estate valuation course that inspired him to apply classroom concepts directly to a personal investment. Group projects also helped him sharpen leadership, communication and time-management skills—qualities that continue to serve him on and off the field.
Archer said that some of his most meaningful experiences happened outside of the classroom. Volunteering with Ka Lau O Ka Lāhui, Archer found himself knee-deep in a loʻi kalo patch, learning firsthand the values of mālama, ʻāina and Hawaiian tradition.
“Those profound experiences ignited new passions and respect for the ʻāina,” he said. “They also resulted in valuable connections and networking.”
Archer put his education to use immediately after graduating. Before joining the Savannah Bananas, he worked for two years at Outrigger Hotels and Resorts as a financial planning and analysis analyst. During this time, he also began building his own business.
These days, Archer plays for the Savannah Bananas—a team famous for blending baseball with entertainment—and combines his finance background and marketing mastery to expand his platform.
“Boiled down—my job is to impact people,” he said. “And a huge opportunity to do that is on social media. My business education has had a massive impact on how I’ve approached this aspect of my job—analyzing my target audiences, retention, trends, all of it.”
For the entire story and more stories like this, see the spring/summer 2025 edition of Shidler Business (PDF).
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