Somewhere beyond right-center field, past the pine trees, across Fowler Street and next to Georgia Tech's Phi Gamma Delta house, the ball came to rest.

And Ileana Hosmer knew.

Somewhere in a Georgia parking lot, after another tournament, the news broke: Superagent Scott Boras' people want to meet with you.

And Eric Hosmer knew.

All along, those showcases kept calling. Those ranking systems kept hyping. That powerhouse college in Tempe, Ariz., came offering.

And Mike Hosmer Sr. figured it out, too:

This baseball thing might actually work out for Eric Hosmer.

And, on Thursday, it might work out more than any of them imagined.

Hosmer -- a power-hitting, left-handed first baseman from 2008 3A state champion American Heritage -- is widely viewed as the nation's top prep hitter, and he is considered a virtual lock for the first round of Thursday's Major League Baseball Draft.

Where he will go, though, is anyone's guess. Hosmer met at length Tuesday with the Kansas City Royals, who pick third. He believes the Texas Rangers will grab him at No. 11 if he is there. Only his association with the notoriously demanding Boras might cause him to slip -- and, if so, not far.

But why Hosmer? What makes people consider the 18-year-old so good?

HE'S GOT IT ALL

As American Heritage coach Todd Fitz-Gerald put it, ``He's the total package.''

Its contents: Equal parts talent, dedication and character, all of which have shown -- and continue to show -- throughout Hosmer's career.

Such as that time at a 2006 Connie Mack World Series qualifier, when Hosmer's walkoff home run cleared a small forest at Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium and almost hit a frat house, making his mom a believer.

'I just said to myself, `Gosh, if he could do this at 16 [years old],' '' Ileana Hosmer recalled, ' `I can't imagine in a couple of years what he'll be capable of doing.' ''

Hosmer kept producing. He wowed scouts with his power and his plate approach. He even became an expert with a wooden bat.

But his rise had even more to do with commitment. Especially to fitness.

If the eighth-grade Hosmer was ''chunky'' (Fitz-Gerald's word), ''chubby'' (assistant coach and trainer Scott Foresman's) or ''portly, short and round'' (his own father's), the 18-year-old Hosmer is as major-league-ready as high-schoolers come. He stands 6-4 or 6-5, depending on whom you ask, and weighs a svelte 220 to 225 pounds.

Sure, that was part growth spurt (he was just 5-9 a few years ago), but his power also came from a structured diet and an intense, six-days-a-week workout regimen -- one he refuses to skip.

''He lets me know when we're working out,'' said Foresman, the plan's designer. ``He doesn't let me miss a day.''

Then there is Hosmer's character, which extends beyond himself.

Two years ago, with the Patriots' pitchers ailing, he scoffed at injury concerns and became an expert reliever. Now some scouts even like his potential as a pitcher (he can throw in the mid-90s).

Last season, alongside players he had known since eighth grade, Hosmer ignored the hype and helped American Heritage finish as the No. 1 team in the nation.

And, off the field, Hosmer often takes the heaps of free equipment showered upon him at various all-star events -- bats, gloves, everything -- and just gives them away.

''And he doesn't do it with any fanfare,'' Mike Hosmer Sr. said. ``I find about it later on.''

Any question why Scott Boras Corp. approached him at a Georgia tournament after his sophomore year, hoping to advise him? (Hosmer called the decision a ''no-brainer,'' despite Boras' reputation.) Or why he will land at Arizona State, if the pro offer isn't right? (''That's all still up in the air,'' Hosmer said.)

Either way he chooses, Hosmer said, it's a ''win-win situation'' -- for him, his parents and his 22-year-old brother and mentor, Mike Jr.

ANXIOUS WAIT

The first step comes Thursday, when Hosmer will find out his fate at his Cooper City home, next to friends, family and former coaches. That is when this crazy draft process -- filled with phone calls and feelers -- will end.

''It's getting nuts,'' Hosmer said.

It's about to get even more so. Even if, years ago, the Hosmers saw it coming.

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