YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College baseball alum Zachary Murray has signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization after a strong start to his professional career with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball.

"We couldn't be more proud of Zach," said YHC baseball head coach Stephen Waggener. "He has certainly earned this opportunity through all his hard-work and on field performance! We look forward to following his continued success.

Murray, a right-handed pitcher from Cumming, Georgia, struck out 11 batters across seven innings for Lincoln in 2025 before having his contract transferred to the Cincinnati Reds.

During his Young Harris career, Murray compiled a 14-7 record with a 3.77 ERA over 181.1 innings pitched. He made 31 appearances (29 starts), struck out 186 hitters, and walked just 67. As a senior in 2024, Murray led the Mountain Lions on the mound with a 9-2 record and a 3.21 ERA across 101.0 innings while punching out 99 batters. His .239 opponent batting average against and four complete games anchored one of the most successful pitching staffs in program history.Murray's dominant senior campaign earned him Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year honors, as well as First Team All-Southeast Region recognition from both the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Young Harris, which won a share of the 2024 Conference Carolinas regular season title and reached the NCAA Southeast Regional, finished the season with a 40-17 record. The program continues to build its legacy with Murray becoming the latest Mountain Lion to leap into professional baseball.

Now, Murray joins one of Major League Baseball's most historic franchises as he begins the next chapter of his career. We encourage Mountain Lion fans to follow along as he takes this exciting step with the Cincinnati Reds organization!