HELENA — After earning all-state honors, Helena Senators standout James DeMers is headed to Gonzaga University. DeMers said the recruiting process made him realize playing Division I baseball was within reach.
“After I started talking to a couple of D-I schools, it was like, dang, this could really be a reality,” said DeMers, a pitcher and infielder and a student at Capital High School.
When it came time to choose a school, Gonzaga quickly stood out.
“The way they took care of things, the culture they had there, all the players love being in the locker room with each other,” DeMers said. “The type of relationship they seem to have with their coaches, I just really loved that about it.”
Long before college coaches started calling, DeMers spent countless hours working on his game with his father, Jeff, at Helena baseball fields.
“So it was always, you know, 'Hey dad, can we go throw? Hey dad, can we go down to the fields and hit, take ground balls?' So he was a big part of that,” DeMers said.
For Jeff DeMers, helping his son chase his dream was always worth the time.
“This was our chance to help him realize his goals, his dreams,” Jeff said. “So no matter what we had going on, we'd always make time. Always.”
Now, DeMers is preparing for the next step in his baseball journey at Gonzaga.
“Not many people get a chance to realize their dream,” Jeff said. “And for him to get that and make it a reality, it was just an incredible feeling.”
DeMers will join the Bulldogs after finishing his career with the Helena Senators.
