The 2026 3A All‑Idaho baseball season concluded with a celebration of excellence, as the Idaho Statesman unveiled its all‑state roster that spotlights the league’s most dominant players and the coaches who guided them.
Player of the Year: Cooper Brooks
Cooper Brooks of Melba captured the imagination of voters and earned the title of Player of the Year after posting a 0.98 ERA over 49 ⅔ innings while striking out 93 batters. At the plate he batted .500, drove in 38 runs and reached base at a .653 clip, topping the classification in both on‑base and slugging percentages.
Coach of the Year: Scott Tondevold
Scott Tondevold, the mastermind behind Orofino’s Maniacs, was honored as Coach of the Year after steering his squad to a 24‑3 record and a second championship in three years. Under his guidance the team combined relentless pitching with a disciplined approach at the plate, a formula that has become a benchmark for small‑school programs.
Other Standout Performers
The rest of the first‑team lineup reads like a who’s who of emerging talent. Cody Cox from Salmon, who led his team to its inaugural state appearance, posted an 8‑2 record, a 2.45 ERA and a .494 batting average with 40 RBIs and 34 stolen bases. Nicholas Bonner of Orofino contributed a .628 on‑base percentage, scored 47 runs and swiped 33 bases, while Jaeger Tondevold topped the league with 42 successful steals in 43 attempts and hit .450. Pete Dice of Nampa Christian ranked second in batting average at .500 and added 35 RBIs, while Clayton Allen of Salmon led all hitters with a .529 average and 30 RBIs. Carter Carey of Malad posted a .439 average, 35 RBIs and a single error all season, and Kurt Ward of Malad anchored a 4‑1 state run with a 2.07 ERA. Quinton Naranjo of Orofino posted the best ERA in 3A at 0.78 and drove in 34 runs, Easton Green of Malad hit .409 with 40 stolen bases in 42 tries, and Colter Bodily of Melba went 7‑0 with a 2.52 ERA while batting .397 with 27 RBIs. Grant Vasquez of Firth paced all divisions with 53 runs and amassed 48 hits, and Michael Lycklama, the longtime Idaho high school sports reporter, has chronicled these feats since 2007, earning national accolades for his coverage.
The collective achievements of these athletes and their coaches underscore a vibrant baseball landscape in Idaho, where pitching precision, offensive explosiveness and strategic leadership converge to set new standards for future seasons.