Zach Alvord’s dream of playing professional baseball is going on the shelf for now.

The South Forsyth graduate was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in June, but was unable to reach an agreement that would have seen him join the organization before this week’s signing deadline.

Instead, Alvord will pursue a college career at Auburn University, with a chance to be drafted again in three years.

Zach’s father, John Alvord, declined to discuss specifics about the conversations that took place between the family and the Braves this summer, but said the team had contacted them on Monday to inform Zach that a deal wasn’t in the cards.

“There was good conversation throughout the summer with the Braves, and I can just say that at the very end, it just didn’t happen, and I’ll just have to leave it at that, really,” John Alvord said.

John Alvord said the family was honored by the Braves’ interest, and expressed pride in how his son conducted himself over the past few months while being unsure whether his next step was to college or the minor leagues.

“It’s a tough position for an 18-year-old to find himself in and have to kind of sort through, but he remained true to himself all summer long,” John Alvord said of Zach.

Zach attended Auburn over the summer semester and is excited to play SEC baseball, his father said.

“When he found out the Braves were not going to be able to get a deal done on Monday, he recovered very quickly.
He just said ‘No problem,’” John Alvord said.

“It’s hard to put a price on the college experience. It’s just something you can’t really buy back once you miss it.”

John Alvord previously told the Forsyth County News that the family had asked for a  high signing bonus due to Zach’s guaranteed chance to play at Auburn.

“He was in a position that teams are going to have to buy him out of that college offer. That was by design by us. If he’s going to miss college ... he’s going to have to be paid for it,” John Alvord said in a previous interview.

Zach Alvord was drafted in the 18th round. He will next be eligible for the 2013 draft.