The Sun Devil Baseball family lost a true legend on Tuesday, as Sun Devil Hall of Famer Bob Horner passed away at the age of 68. Horner, who played at Arizona State from 1976 to 1978, raised the standard for anyone putting on the Sun Devil uniform, thanks to his historic three-year run in Tempe.
Horner made an immediate impact during his first season at ASU, hitting .339 with 9 home runs and 42 RBI as the Sun Devils finished the year with a 65-10 record, a Western Athletic Conference Championship and a trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
Horner was even better during his sophomore season, batting .389 with 87 RBI and set a new school record with his 22 home runs as ASU again captured the WAC championship. But he saved his best for the College World Series, leading the Sun Devils to the 1977 National Championship. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series and was a First Team All-American selection.
His 1978 season was another one for the history books, as he again set the new single-season home run record with his 25 round-trippers. He batted an amazing .412 with 100 RBI, once again leading Arizona State to a WAC title and the College World Series. In addition to earning First Team All-American honors, he was named the inaugural winner of the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.
Horner finished his incredible ASU career with a batting average of .383 with 229 RBI and 56 home runs, setting a then-NCAA record and a school record that stands to this day. He totaled 262 hits along with 104 walks, while striking out only 69 times in his 186 career games at Arizona State.
On June 6, 1978, the Atlanta Braves selected Horner as the Number One Overall pick in the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft. Two days later, Horner closed out his collegiate career in Omaha, making the All-College World Series Team for a second consecutive year.
On June 16, only eight days after playing in the College World Series, Horner made his Major League debut with the Braves. He also collected his first career hit that night, fittingly a home run in the sixth inning. Horner won the 1978 Rookie of the Year award, despite playing in only 89 games. He played 10 seasons in the Majors, retiring following the 1988 season.
Horner was inducted into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979, and his Number 5 is an honored on the outfield wall at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
In 2006, Horner was a charter member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, one of the first 10 to be inducted.
Horner was a fixture around the Sun Devil Baseball program following his playing days, often coming back for alumni weekends and attending ASU games when it would travel to Texas, where he lived in the Dallas area.
Sun Devil Baseball and Arizona State University mourn the loss of one of the greatest to ever put on the Sun Devils uniform.