Former Morgan County right-handed pitcher Ty Tillery has confirmed his next career stop, following the 2026 MLB Draft’s conclusion.
The Diamond Dogs alum received opportunities to sign with multiple teams, but ultimately decided to honor his commitment with Auburn University.
Tillery initially signed with the Tigers on scholarship in the fall after committing last July. He said he potentially had a couple of opportunities to be drafted in rounds four to seven, but decided sticking with Auburn would be the best option for him.
“I was just kind of watching [the draft] and waiting around for everything to unfold,” Tillery said. “Obviously, hearing my name in the draft would have been cool, but at the end of the day, I wanted to make a decision where I would be comfortable and where I felt like home was.”
With his recent decision, Tillery said he feels like taking the college route now will provide him with better opportunities to develop before a hopeful future in the professional leagues. He noted that he especially trusts working with Auburn’s staff and wants to pursue a college degree.
“I feel like I really trust in the coaches and the pitching coach, Everett Teaford, to develop me and help me become a better player,” Tillery said. “[I also believe this will] help me be a better person and mature a little bit before I hit the workforce; being able to work towards my degree as well is very important.”
A few days after he made his decision, Tillery took a trip to Auburn for first-year orientation, which he initially planned to attend earlier in the summer.
He said he felt at home on campus and was able to learn more about the school beyond athletics.
“I was supposed to go in June, but was still undecided on what I wanted to do, so we decided to wait until I was sure I was going to Auburn,” Tillery said. “It was really exciting, being able to soak it all in and meet a bunch of new people and learn even more about the school in general and not just the baseball part.”
Tillery’s decision to honor his commitment comes nearly two months after his high school career ended in May, as the Diamond Dogs swept Pierce County for the GHSA 2026 Class AA State Championship. He said he believes his high school career prepared him for the D1 level in multiple ways, especially in his development as an athlete.
“Just working with the coaches, obviously they’ve helped a lot, between Merritt [Ainslie] and Coach [Steve] Westmoreland,” Tillery said. “The community is always there and always so supportive; I feel like [playing for Morgan County] really shaped me into the person and player I am today.”
Overall, Tillery said he believes that heading to Auburn will give him a better chance of making it through the league at a faster pace than if he were to forgo his commitment. He added he is most looking forward to opportunities to play the game and learn from his teammates.
“I feel like at Auburn, I’ll have more opportunities and it’ll help me shoot through the minor leagues a little bit quicker, by having the college playing experience, and being able to get better and stronger,” Tillery said. “The whole process will just help overall, so I just feel like that was the right decision; I have no regrets, and I’m not looking back on it.”