From NAIA to Banana Ball: An Interview with Joe Lytle

Who Is Joe Lytle?

This week, I had the opportunity to interview Joe Lytle, who played NAIA baseball for Oklahoma City University and now serves as the catcher for the Firefighters in Banana Ball. From 2015 to 2018, Lytle posted a .386 batting average with 350 hits, 214 RBIs, 14 home runs, a .433 on-base percentage, and a .551 slugging percentage. Lytle was a two-time second-team All-Sooner Athletic Conference in 2016 and 2017, and in 2015 he earned first-team All-SAC honors as a freshman. 

Lytle finished his career at Oklahoma City before signing with the Evansville Otters, an independent Frontier League team, in 2018. After one season with the Otters, Lytle moved on to three different teams in 2019. He opened the year with the Capitales de Québec in the Canadian-American Association, a league that would merge with the Frontier League later that season. Lytle would then head over to Nebraska where he served as a bench bat for the Lincoln Saltdogs. 

“I can’t have you on my bench. I just watched you spit on a big leaguer today. Like, I can’t. Like, I don’t feel right doing that,” Lytle’s coach said . 

His coach, wanting to get him more playing time, connected him to the coach of the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. Lytle suffered two concussions and was put on the DL and was sent home. While he was on the DL Lytle went down to Florida for some training where he had a run in with the Florence Y’alls head coach. Lytle told me that he was approached by the head coach a month later, who said:

 “Hey, would you be interested in playing for me?” 

Lytle was 100 percent sure that he wanted to, but at the time he was still signed with Windy City. 

“Not anymore you’re not,” the coach said. 

Lytle was confused until he was told that the Y’alls traded for him right then and there. Lytle would play his first season with the Y’alls in 2021 and would be released after the 2022 season.

Lytle’s career wasn’t over, however. In 2023, Lytle signed with the Party Animals for the 2023 Banana Ball World Tour. In 2024, Lytle would be sent over to one of the two Banana Ball expansion teams, the Firefighters, and that is where he continues to play in 2025 as the Fans First Movement sweeps across America. 

 

College Career 

As mentioned in the introduction, Lytle played NAIA baseball for Oklahoma City University — but why did he choose NAIA baseball over NCAA or junior college? 

“I’m a little unique when it comes to this kind of question,” Lytle said.

 And he was not kidding. Lytle’s dad was actually the assistant coach of the team at the time and he had been since 1989, recently named head coach in 2022. 

“I told him when I was four or five, I think, I basically signed myself. And I was like, hey, I’m gonna play for you one day.” Lytle told his father.

Lytle did have other offers from much bigger schools, but he never cared.

“I had some letters to go on visits. Honestly, I didn’t even open them.” he said.

Next I wanted to get more info about Lytle’s experiences playing at the NAIA level. Not just how his time went at OCU, but the competition he faced and how different schools varied in skill. This is where Lytle dropped a quote that will forever stick with me.

“I mean, I feel like baseball’s kind of baseball wherever you go. You’re going to have your top tier of the league. You’re gonna have the bottom tier of the league.” Lytle said.

He is 100 percent right, baseball is baseball at whatever level you play at. In the entire interview Lytle would tell me how much he loves the game of baseball and wanted to continue to play no matter where he was at. I then proceeded to see if Lytle had any doubts or concerns about playing at the NAIA level. 

“I didn’t even really think about it like, oh I’m going to play NAIA,” he said to me.

Lytle was mainly happy that he was going to play for his father. That was his dream from when he was a kid and he was living his dream, playing college baseball for his own father.

We wrapped up the conversation about his college career by discussing his most memorable moment on the field. During his college career OCU made two trips to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, ID, in 2017 and 2018. Lytle told me that his most memorable moment came in game one of the World Series when they took on LC State. It was a night game in front of 4,000 plus fans against the host team. 

“Just being able to share that field against that team with my pops,” he said.

Not only was he sharing that amazing moment with his father, but he ended the game 4-5 with two runs batted in. OCU would end up losing 8-7 and finishing third in the tournament.

“It’s crazy. Like, I feel the energy, I feel the vibes,” describing that moment during the game. 

Needless to say, Lytle not only had a successful career but also a memorable one. He didn’t care what level he was at—he was simply happy to be playing college baseball. And perhaps most special of all, he had the opportunity to play for his dad for four years. 

When asked what advice he would give to young players, Lytle responded, 

“Just go where you’re going to get the opportunity to play and develop. Getting to play is the only way you can truly develop.”

Playing for his dad was special, but Lytle wasn’t finished quite yet. After not being drafted he took his talents to Evansville where he would begin his independent ball career.

 

Banana Ball Career

After Lytle’s career in Florence ended, he was still eager to keep playing. 

“Man, I just felt like I wasn’t done playing yet. You know?” Lytle told me when I asked why he chose to go play Banana Ball.

Lytle had a buddy on the team who encouraged him to send in some film and go try out for the team. Lytle made the team in 2023 where he was a member of the Party Animals for the 2023 Banana Ball World Tour. 

“Ain’t never looking back, man. I love this place. I love this organization,” as Lytle said, as he reflected on his new team.

After hearing how Lytle found his way onto a Banana Ball team, I was curious how the game compared to college and pro ball through his eyes. He told me that there was actually a lot more to worry about in Banana Ball. I was confused until he broke it down. 

“Like, so you got to kind of try to separate the baseball and the entertainment stuff,” he explained to me.

Which makes sense. Banana Ball isn’t just baseball, it is a show. Lytle explained how you don’t only worry about the baseball part of it, but you always worry about the dance you have to do in two innings. Lytle touches a little on trick plays and how they even affect the game as well. It’s no longer catch and throw, now you are implementing trick plays.

“It’s to catch the ball, go between your legs, or behind the back or bounce it or something,” Lytle said.

I then wanted to know how competitive Banana Ball really was. The dances and walk-up songs may be scripted, but what about the baseball itself? Do the players want to win? Does anyone care about the outcome? These were the questions I had. Lytle said that yes guys are out here to have fun, but also they all want to win. 

“I still want to win, bro. You think I’m happy 5 and 20 something?” Lytle said, as he comments on his team’s current record.

Not only is it what the players want, but Lytle as a competitive person always wants to win.

“I want to win. I want to win, I want to win, I want to win,” Lytle told me.

Baseball is without a doubt one of the most mental sports in the world. No matter the level, the mental side of the game is always present. As a player myself, I’ve noticed how the mental challenge only intensifies at each level. So I was curious how the mental game compared between traditional baseball and Banana Ball. 

This is what Lytle had to say about it: 

“It’s completely different because you have to juggle so many different things.”

Which again Banana Ball isn’t just about baseball but the entertainment as well. Lytle would go on and tell me a story that changed his whole perspective and mentality on having a bad game in Banana Ball. Lytle talked about a game he had in Vegas when he was with the Party Animals in 2023. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, a ground ball to the pitcher, and an infield pop out. 

“Didn’t even get the ball out of the infield,” he said.

He then said how after the game he had five people come up to him and tell him that he was their favorite player. Lytle’s initial reaction was like, what? Now he only told me that he said this to one of the kids, but he said, 

“Bro I went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.”  

He said the went,

“Oh for real? I don’t care.”

Lytle told me that was the moment he realized the fans didn’t care about the results — they cared about who the players were as people and the interactions they had with them. 

“But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because we’re here to put on a show for the fans and be fans first,”

Lytle spoke highly of what Jesse has accomplished and how the Fans First Organization brings fans closer to the game. Still, despite learning that results don’t matter as much, he admitted the transition from college and pro ball to Banana Ball was a bit rough at first. Lytle shared another pivotal moment in his career that showed him the fine line between the mentality of college and pro ball and that of Banana Ball. He told the story where he had the chance to tie the game up with a runner on third. He proceeded to strike out looking at what he described as a very bad call. After the game Lytle was heated and pacing back and forth in the tunnel. He was big mad he would later say. 

“This is my first year in the org, right? Still straight baseball, pretty much. Like, that’s my mindset,” he said.

Lytle said Reginald Horton saw him and approached him and gave him a hug and put his hand on his shoulders. Reg would remind Lytle that there were some fans out there who were really excited to see him and that everything will be okay. 

“The game’s over. It doesn’t matter. Like, let’s go make some memories for some people that will hopefully never forget this day,” Lytle would remind himself.

Lytle emphasizes how Reg is such a leader and an awesome dude to be around. That is the entire purpose of the Fans First Organization. Lytle said that it wasn’t for the players, wasn’t for his career, wasn’t for the stats, this is for them. Before I concluded the interview I was curious about Lytle’s favorite stadium that he played in so far during the Banana Ball 2025 World Tour. Before we began the interview Lytle told me that he grew up a Red Sox fan and going to Fenway Park was a dream come true. He even told me how emotional he got playing in the ballpark when he grew up watching games as a young kid. 

Before we moved onto our closing discussions, I wanted to hear his answer on if he considers Banana Ball a form of pro-ball.

“100 percent,” he answered.

Which many people do agree with. He told me that he’s seen guys get drafted from Banana Ball. And there are even ex-pro players playing in the league as well. 

 

Closing Discussions

I concluded the interview by discussing NAIA baseball more broadly and giving him a chance to share his final thoughts. A big thing that he talked about was go play where you’re going to get playing time and not sit the bench for three years. 

“Like, I don’t care if I’m at a D3 or a NAIA, D2. D1, whatever. If I can play it, I’m going to play,” he told me.

Lytle also said as a player you will get better if you’re actually playing in the games. You can only get so good in the cage or in the pen, but it is the game reps that you need to gain the experience.

“Like playing the game is the only thing that will actually make you better,” he said.

Joe Lytle is a man who has a deep love for the game of baseball. When he thought his career was over a new opportunity arose and he took it. He never cared about his status as a baseball player. Whether it is NAIA baseball, independent baseball, or even Banana Ball, he loved the game for what it was and drove his entire career off of it. 

Before we ended Lytle left with this one quote that showed his forever love for the game.

“You fell in love with baseball to play it, not to watch it,” – Joe Lytle

 

Cooper Carter – NAIA Ball Staff Writer