PRESEASON PRIME: No. 1 -- The Horn of plenty

1. Archer Horn

St. Ignatius Prep - shortstop - senior

The Skinny: Archer Horn might have a tough decision to make in July. He already has a full ride to Stanford in his pocket, but there’s a good chance he’ll get selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Right now, ESPN has him listed as the No. 53 prospect in America and that could rise with a strong senior campaign. “I think both the draft or Stanford would be really cool opportunities,” he said. “Whatever is best for me and my career is where I'd want to go, but I'm definitely excited about both of them, and I know that I can't make a wrong decision.” Horn has gotten to his perch with hard work and paying attention to the details, says teammate DJ Delaney. "He's one of the hardest workers out there and I don't think that should go overlooked." He's also student – and a student of the game, says former teammate Emmett Johnson, who is now a freshman at Ohlone College. “His attention to detail makes him good," said Johnson, who was a St. Ignatius Prep teammate for three years. "He’s big on the little things, whether for himself or the team.” Horn spent the summer playing in several high school all-star games, including the Perfect Game All-Star Classic at San Diego’s Petco Park. Horn, who translates to a shortstop at the next level, can do it all. All five tools: glove, arm strength, foot speed, hitting for average and hitting for power. “He's focused, meticulous, detail-oriented and very competitive,” said St. Ignatius Prep coach Brian Pollzzie. “He’s very good at baseball, but he’s a very well-rounded kid.” He also has a sixth tool when you consider he has a fastball that approaches 95 mph and will be handy for the Wildcats when closing out games this year. Horn is the leadoff hitter in a lineup that is loaded at the top and should be one of the top offenses on the Peninsula. “Mainly, our goal is just to win. We want to win CCS. We want to win NorCals. That’s our main objective.”

He said It: “Overall, I’ve worked hard on my consistency at the plate. I think I’ve gotten a lot better, and I think I've really trained hard. I’ve also worked on my speed and quickness.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Horn collected 31 hits, walked 21 times and had an on-base percentage of .477. He scored 30 runs and had a .670 slugging percentage. His OPS was 1.147.

Eye-Popping Stat: In 17 innings on the mound, he struck out 34 batters – or two of every three outs he recorded.