How Bryce Madron's time with the Savannah Bananas prepared him for OU baseball

NORMAN — With a kilt wrapped around his hips and a bat in his hands, Bryce Madron looked around him.

The OU junior outfielder was just a few weeks into his time with the Savannah Bananas, a then-summer collegiate baseball team in Savannah, Georgia. Madron was about to run onto the diamond with his teammates for a game on July 12, which had a St. Patrick's Day theme because the team feels that "once a year just isn't enough."

Each player was equipped with a kilt and a bat, and one of them was even sitting atop a horse.

The door in center field opened up, and Madron and his teammates stormed the diamond as a packed crowd at Grayson Stadium rose to its feet. Madron and his teammates then gathered at the mound, where they began to do an Irish jig.

That's just one of the many wild moments from Madron's summer with the Bananas, who've since grown to social media stardom as a traveling baseball circus.

"It was pretty crazy," Madron said. "I just enjoyed every bit of it. It was definitely good just to have fun and be able to enjoy playing the game."

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Now, Madron is bringing that excitement to OU (19-19, 4-8 Big 12), which begins a three-game road series against Texas at 7 p.m. Friday.

Madron has put on a show in his first season with OU. He's batting .296 with a team-high seven home runs to go along with 30 RBIs.

Power Five baseball is a step up in competition for Madron, who began his career at the junior college level. But thanks to his days with the Bananas, he's used to the big stage.

"It definitely brought me out of my comfort zone," Madron said. "I was able to fit in (at OU) faster and get to know people better than I probably would have because of it."

Madron grew up with dreams of playing for OU, although he had to take a few detours.

Despite batting .400 in his junior season at Blanchard High School, Madron didn't receive any Division I offers by the time he graduated in 2020. A lack of size was the main knock on the 5-foot-8 outfielder.

Madron's only offer at any level came from Cowley College, a junior college in Arkansas City, Kansas.

"I think I had the talent," Madron said. "But nobody really wants a small guy. They want the big guy who can hit bombs and create a lot of runs. But I think being small really helped me continue to grow and be a better player all around."

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Madron committed to Cowley and made the best of it. The Blanchard native batted .420 with 72 RBIs in his two seasons with the team, and he committed to play for OU on Oct. 24, 2021.

But before suiting up for the Sooners, Madron had one more detour to make.

The Savannah Bananas' head coach, Tyler Gillum, was looking for left-handed outfielder to add to his summer 2022 roster. He reached out Butch Rae, an assistant coach at Cowley, and asked if the team had someone who would be a good fit.

Rae suggested Madron, who was quick to accept the offer.

"I had heard about them," Madron said. "I had watched their TikToks and stuff. As soon as they asked, I was in."

Madron ultimately played 26 games for the Bananas, who were a part of the Coastal Plain League at the time. He recorded a .261 batting average with 14 RBIs.

Savannah then became a year-round traveling team in August 2022, and it now promotes itself as the "World Famous Baseball Circus." The Bananas, who will make a trip to Oklahoma City next month, have amassed a combined total of over seven million followers on social media, and they even have a documentary on ESPN called "Bananaland."

Savannah plays what it calls "Banana Ball," which has a special set of rules. Every inning is worth one point. Bunts and walks aren't allowed. Batters can steal first base. If a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out.

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These rules weren't in place while Madron was on the team because Savannah was part of the CPL, but he still participated in plenty of antics.

Madron participated in choreographed dances, including one that required two days of rehearsing. He had unique walk-up routines, including one that required him to dress up like a shark because it was Shark Week.

It was all new to Madron, who was game for anything the team asked him to do.

"We did a bunch of crazy stuff," Madron said. "I thought it was awesome for the game. It just made it fun again."

Madron is enjoying his time with OU this season despite a lack of kilts and choreographed routines.

He's playing some of his best baseball. And while his journey is unlike that of anyone else on OU's roster, Madron is happy with how it played out.

"I don't take anything for granted just because of where I came," Madron said. "The biggest thing I took from it was just getting out of my element, being able to be free and have fun."

More: Column: Are Savannah Bananas the cure for baseball's ills?

OU vs. Texas

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas

TV: Longhorn Network

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Savannah Bananas helped Bryce Madron prepare for stage at OU baseball