Stanhope Elmore standout Zach Stevens transfers to Auburn baseball

A Millbrook right-hander who once chose South Alabama over Auburn is now headed to the Tigers, turning a familiar River Region name into the latest local arm to reach an SEC staff. Zach Stevens, a 2023 Stanhope Elmore High School graduate, announced he will transfer to Auburn after three seasons with the Jaguars. For Autauga and Elmore County baseball circles, the move puts a homegrown pitcher inside one of the SEC's most visible programs.

Stevens' path has been steady and increasingly sharp. Listed by South Alabama at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, the right-hander was born June 27, 2005, played varsity baseball for six years at Stanhope Elmore and helped the Mustangs reach the state semifinals in 2023. He also was a health science major at South Alabama. In 2024, Stevens appeared in 10 games with five starts, went 1-0 and logged 22.2 innings with a 6.35 ERA and 14 strikeouts. In 2025, he appeared in eight games, all starts, and posted a 1-2 record with a 5.40 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 28.1 innings.

This spring, Stevens put together the season that changed his trajectory. He went 7-1 with a 2.53 ERA, two saves and 47 strikeouts in 42.2 innings across 19 appearances. His fastball sat in the 92 to 95 mile-per-hour range, and he paired it with a cutter, curveball and changeup, a mix that gives Auburn another late-inning option. Stevens said he trusted every pitch in his arsenal and planned to compete at full intensity wherever Auburn used him.

Auburn's interest fit a roster built for October-like baseball in June. The Tigers finished 42-22 and lost to Ole Miss in the Super Regional on June 7 after hosting consecutive Super Regionals, one of only two programs in the country to do that. Stevens had an official visit to Auburn the week before his commitment, and he had spoken mostly with pitching coach Everett Teaford and head coach Butch Thompson before making the move. Teaford, hired June 30, 2023, entered his third season with the program in 2026.

Stevens originally chose South Alabama over Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Troy, Southern Miss and UAB, so the transfer back to Auburn closes a recruiting loop with real local meaning. For Stanhope Elmore, it is another sign that the school can produce pitchers who belong on an SEC stage. For the River Region, Stevens' move is a benchmark, a reminder that the path from Millbrook to Auburn can run all the way through a major college bullpen.