Coeur d’Alene High’s Fenter, Helms earn All-Idaho first-team honors

Coeur d’Alene High’s baseball pipeline kept producing at the state level this spring, with seniors Bam Fenter and Gavin Helms earning 6A first-team All-Idaho honors after seasons that also pushed both toward college baseball. The recognition, announced by The Idaho Statesman and voted on by coaches in each classification, underscores how firmly the Vikings remain in the conversation as one of North Idaho’s standard-bearers.

Fenter, a third baseman and pitcher who has committed to Lewis-Clark State College, put together one of the most complete seasons in the state. He finished 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA on the mound, then hit .457 with 28 RBIs at the plate. Helms, a first baseman and right fielder headed to Ottawa University in Surprise, Arizona, batted .434 and added another All-Idaho first-team honor to a resume that already included the same recognition in 2025.

The pair’s awards fit a larger pattern for Coeur d’Alene. Helms was the 2025 6A Inland Empire League MVP after hitting .525 with five home runs and 35 RBIs, and in 2026 he was named a 6A Inland Empire League all-league infielder. Fenter took the league’s MVP honor this spring, a sign that the Vikings were not just winning games but getting elite production from the top of the roster. For a program that has spent recent seasons stacking league and state recognition, those individual awards say the development track remains strong.

The season’s defining moments showed why. On April 8, Fenter went 5-for-5 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in 10 runs in a win over Post Falls. Two days later, he struck out 12 in a 7-0 win over the Trojans. Helms delivered in his own spotlight moment on April 22, when he hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh against Lake City. Those are the kinds of plays that separate a good lineup from one that can carry postseason expectations.

Both players were also invited to join the class of 2026 Idaho team at the Baseball Northwest Northwest Championships in Centralia, Washington, a showcase that brings college scouts together with top talent from Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Utah. For Coeur d’Alene, the message is clear: the Vikings are still producing players good enough to earn statewide honors, and the next wave will be measured against the standard Fenter and Helms set this season.