by Matt Betts
Jayden Pavao knew he had to be at his best to find a home at the next level.
And when it mattered most during the recruiting process, he was.
When the Terriers played Monroe Community College in an exhibition doubleheader, his goal was to catch the eye of the Tribunes’ coaches.
And he did.
After being invited to a camp at MCC following the pair of games, Pavao eventually found himself committing to the school to further his baseball and academic career.
It was the realization of a dream and the culmination of his hard work.
The path was far from linear, though.
“My recruiting process wasn’t the greatest. In my first year I didn’t have many eyes on me but I continued to work hard and fix my game which lead to multiple opportunities from schools in my 2024 fall,” Pavao said.
“I like the challenge that I had to be at the top of my game and work hard to show myself off to coaches.”
Between the coaching staff, facilities, reasonable roster size and the fact he felt an instant connection to the school, he knew Monroe would be the right fit.
It’s an opportunity he feels was significantly aided by his time with the Terriers and the support of the staff.
“The Terriers played a huge role for me in helping guide me through my process,” he said.
“(Head coach) Ryan Pollard attended Monroe and he always told me they would be a good fit for me. My coaches have helped me so much through this process as they reached out to schools and made sure I found a good place.”
His commitment has also given him time to reflect on his career to this point.
When it comes to advice he’d give younger players going through the process, well, it’s easier said than done but Pavao is walking proof of its effectiveness.
“Don’t get down on yourself, stay focused on your goal,” he said.
“The more work you put in, the better you will get and better chances you will receive.”
With the months ticking away until he arrives on campus, he knows there’s still plenty of that work to do.
“I hope to work on building my strength and my baseball mechanics so I can enter the college level in the best shape and be the best ball player I can be,” he said.
“I’m very excited to play baseball in the US. I think there’s a lot of competition and especially to play at the college level I think it’ll be a great experience for me.”