Former Georgia State baseball great Hunter Gaddis, now pitching for the Cleveland Guardians, makes his return to Atlanta this weekend to play in his hometown for the first time as a Major Leaguer as the Guardians face the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.

Gaddis starred for the Panthers from 2017-19 as one of the top pitchers in Georgia State annals, setting the school record for lowest career ERA at 3.81 in his three seasons. The two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection won 14 games and ranks second in GSU history with 277 career strikeouts (9.35 per nine innings), fourth in innings pitched (266.2)and sixth in games started (40).

A native of Canton, Ga., who played at Sequoyah High School in Metro Atlanta, Gaddis became the highest draft pick in Georgia State history when he was selected in the fifth round (No. 160 overall) by the Cleveland Indians in the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The right hander rose quickly through the minor league ranks and made his Major League debut with Guardians on Aug. 5, 2022, becoming just the second former Georgia State player to reach the Majors.

This season, Gaddis is off to a strong start as one of the Guardians top relievers with a 1-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in 13 appearances. He has 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings.