St. Ignatius Prep Wildcats

St. Ignatius Prep Wildcats: 2025- 17-10-2, 10-4 in WCAL, second place. Central Coast Section-Division I qualifier. Coach: Brian Pollzzie.

St. Ignatius Prep's 2025 season can summed up by its stinging losses, particularly in May. There was the one-run loss to Valley Christian in the WCAL tournament semifinals, when Warriors' centerfielder Brock Ketelsen went over the wall in left-center to snatch the game-tying home run that came off the bat of Archer Horn.

A week later, the Wildcats' season come to a close when Saint Francis senior Nick Chow, hours after graduating, threw a gem in the Lancers' CCS quarterfinal victory at Fairmont Park.

"Those losses fuel us 100 percent," said senior outfielder DJ Delaney. "Those were some of the toughest losses of my career and I know the guys feel the same way. Although they hurt at the moment, I think they have only made us better and will only continue to prepare us for the challenges of what we will see this year."

So, yes, St. Ignatius Prep has motivation. And a lot of talent, including Horn, who might be the best player ever to come out of St. Ignatius Prep. That's a dangerous combination.

Still, it would be way too easy to say the Wildcats will go where Horn takes them. While Horn is a generational talent, the Wildcats are intent on showing that they go deeper than one player, that they are a team.

The Cats worked hard on building chemistry during the fall with team mixers, get-togethers and workouts. For some of them – Horn, Chase Gordon and Delaney – this is the culmination of a journey that began when they were young members of the West Coast Federals.

"We've all pretty much played with each other since we were 8 and we've stayed really close," Gordon said. "But getting in the weightroom with the guys and hanging out all the time had definitely helped us become as close as we can be, which is important as we head into the season."

There's some talent to go along with that togetherness, too.

Gordon, a pitcher and first baseman who will play collegiately at Cal State-Northridge in the fall, had his moments last year. He opened the season with a victory over Granada, the defending NorCal champion, and had the game-winning hit – a bases-loaded double into Triples Alley in the Wildcats' victory over rival Sacred Heart-Cathedral at Oracle Park.

Senior right fielder Delaney, who will play ball at Nevada-Reno next year, is coming out of a .314 season that saw him earn All-WCAL honors by collecting 27 hits, including four home runs, scoring 22 runs and driving in 27 more.

And catcher AJ Wineinger, who will play college ball at the University of Puget Sound along with teammate Ryan Rosenthal, hit .282 with a walk-off grand-slam home run against Saint Francis at Fairmont Park last season.

"Our goal this year is mainly, just to win," Horn said. "We want to win CCS. We want to win NorCals."

Horn, the Stanford-bound shortstop can do it all. He's got all five tools and perhaps a sixth if you count his ability to come in and shut the door in the seventh inning with a fastball that pushes 95 mph.

Horn hit .352 as a junior with 30 hits. He scored 30 runs, drove in 20 runs from the leadoff spot in the batting order and tied with Serra's Ian Josephson for the Peninsula lead with seven home runs. He also came on in relief and won his only two decisions, saved another game and posted a 2.02 earned-run average.

Rosenthal, who was the Wildcats' designated hitter for much of last year, hit .261 with 11 RBI. He'll be joined by returning starters Atticus Gibson and Jack Callen.

Gordon will lead the rotation, followed by Tycco Giometti and Charlie Stecher. Jason Balmy brings some heat to a pitching staff that will have to overcome the loss of senior Finn DeMuth, who injured his right elbow late last spring.

2026 Schedule

Feb. 25 at De La Salle, 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 Cardinal Newman, noon

March 3 at Accalanes, 3:30 p.m.

March 7 Granada, noon

March 10 at Palo Alto, 4 p.m.

March 13 Carlmont, 4 p.m.

March 17 Mitty, 4 p.m.

March 20 at Mitty, 4 p.m.

March 24 Riordan, 4 p.m.

March 27 at Riordan, 4 p.m.

March 30 Boras Family Classic, at Sacramento, TBA