With the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets going through a pitching overhaul, which featured losing four of the six pitchers that led the team in starts last season. But one spot that the Yellow Jackets for the team was glaring this season, and that was the need for a closer.
Incoming transfer Jaylen Paden came in game one to show his case for the role, as the graduate transfer from Georgia Southern would come in in the eighth inning in the team's season-opener against the Old Dominion Monarchs after Yellow Jackets pitcher Carson Ballard would be pulled after allowing runners to advance to second and third base with no outs.
Paden would deliver a masterful performance, as he would strike out his first batter faced, then tag out a runner in a rundown that was heading home, and record the final out of the inning by striking out Monarchs third baseman Tyler Zedalis to get out of the inning without allowing a run to keep the game tied 2-2.
Paden would come back to the mound in the top of the ninth with a 3-2 lead after Yellow Jackets outfielder Drew Burress would reach home on a fielders choice.
Paden would only face three batters in the top of the ninth inning, striking out the first two and forcing a flyout to end the game.
Paden wouldn't pitch again over the weekend, but he looked the most comfortable of all relief/closer pitchers that took the mound over the weekend for the Yellow Jackets, and the spot could be his moving forward.