Andy Archer, who was a starting pitcher for Georgia Tech, is joining the University of Hawaii baseball team as a graduate transfer.

Archer, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander, said he will move to Hawaii in two weeks and enroll at UH for the fall semester. Archer will have one season of UH eligibility.

Archer excelled in several roles for the Yellow Jackets. As a reliever in 2020, he averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings. In 2021, he was 5-5 in 14 starts, striking out 77 in 75 innings while holding opponents to a .246 batting average. In his final Georgia Tech appearance, he pitched a four-hit shutout against Indiana State in the NCAA Regionals.

Archer described that parting game as “super emotional, but an amazing way to go out. It was sad to take off the white and gold for the last time, but I’m so pumped for another opportunity to keep playing baseball.”

Archer said his fastball’s velocity averages between 90 and 93 mph as a starter, and he has touched 95 mph out of the bullpen. His best pitch is a splitter that is in the 82-85 range.

Archer had entered the transfer portal as a contingency if he were not selected in this week’s 20-round Major League Baseball Draft. When his name was not called, Archer quickly chose UH ahead of Ohio State and Arkansas.

Archer said his affinity for Hawaii began seven months ago.

“My family and I visited Hawaii over New Year’s this year,” Archer said. “I had never been, but I’d seen pictures and videos of the beaches and ocean. You plan your trip knowing it, but when I was there and met some local people, I was just blown away. That’s the kindness everyone showed me and my family, and how much love there was there. When I thought about what it might mean for me to play another year of college baseball if the MLB Draft didn’t work out, where better to spend a year than with people who were so welcoming to me? It was a no-brainer on that end.”

During discussions with UH, Archer recalled, newly hired head coach Rich Hill spoke of aspects beyond pitching, such as leadership, community, and the platform Hawaii afforded to inspire aspiring players. “I got goosebumps talking to him,” Archer said. “I knew Hawaii would be a great fit.”

Archer said he plans to pursue a master’s in economics.