Eagle Diamonds' Bios – 2009 Season

Brent Allen – First Base and Third Base
Brent is a dangerous "striker" who always plays with vigor. He begins his second season with the Diamonds. Last season his "ash" proved to be solid in helping secure consecutive victories over the St. Louis Perfectos and the Milwaukee Grays. His game performance is known to frequently generate spirited "huzzahs" from the local "cranks." Brent drew a similar reaction from UW-Whitewater football fans, where he achieved All-American honors while playing on the 2007 national championship team.

Chad Allen – Outer Garden (Left Field)
This talented "ballist" excels in his coverage of the "outer garden" for the Diamonds. Among his crowd-pleasing accomplishments are throwing out "strikers" at first base and, on one occasion, skillfully playing the batted "apple" off of an unsuspecting horse's posterior. The latter incident occurred in a Milwaukee contest. Chad sped after the "cloud buster," which struck the rear of the tethered animal. Barehanded, he caught the ball after it bounced off the horse for a putout, only to have the "barrister" rule it a foul ball. Chad is native of Mukwonago and currently a student at UW-Whitewater.

Steven Frank – Captain and Shortstop
Steve is a five-year veteran of the team and recent graduate of Carroll University. His alma mater, organized in 1846, is Wisconsin's oldest college and the site of the original base ball field where the Waukesha Diamonds took on all 19th-century challengers. An internship at Old World Wisconsin found this history major investigating the Diamonds' 1868 origins—the players, rules and schedules. Steve also coaches the 21st-century version of this sport at Mukwonago High School.

Gary Goyette – Outer Garden (Center Field) and Behind (Catcher)
Gary is one of the three original Eagle Diamonds. He scored the first "ace" in the team's inaugural game against the Milwaukee Cream Citys Club in June 2005. Gary's knowledge of vintage base ball and historic buildings places him in a league of his own. This Mayville native also serves as Old World Wisconsin's restoration and maintenance superintendent. When he is not patrolling the team's outer garden or storming the base paths, he is actively working to maintain the 576-acre property and its 67 restored structures.

Seth Jones – Outer Garden (Center Field)
For the last three seasons, Seth has carefully positioned himself in center field amidst a grove of maple trees. His superior navigation skills help him snare batted "apples" falling through the branches. At the 2006 Cream Citys Festival, his booming "ash" led the Diamonds' "strikers." From his lead-off position, he ignited the team for a hard-fought win over the Downers Grove Plowboys. He then had a perfect day at the "dish" when facing the Creston Regulators. When not garbed in his woolen Diamonds uniform Seth studies business administration at UW-Whitewater.

Jake Kroll – First Base
Jake's superior first-base skills fit those recommended by Henry Chadwick in 1867. Chadwick, one of the new sport's primary advocates, wrote a first baseman needed "to hold any ball thrown to first base that was in a radius of six feet from the base or as high as eight feet above the base." Besides offering an excellent defensive range, this lanky "ballist" consistently sparkles at the "dish." In June 2008 Jake enjoyed a perfect day. He collected five "knocks" in five at bats in a victory over the Milwaukee Cream Citys during Old World Wisconsin's Base Ball History Day event. Away from the diamond, the Mukwonago native studies business finance at UW-Whitewater.

Lee Lovas – Barrister (Umpire)
According to Haney's Base Ball Book of Reference (1867), when selecting a "barrister," teams should choose someone known to be "a true man." That is, "one, who howsoever he may err in judgment, decides a point accordingly to his honest and unprejudiced opinion." As our "true man," Lee keeps order while interpreting the vintage game to the "cranks" in attendance. He is a perennial member, entering his fifth season with the team. Lee resides in East Troy, where the local Thumper nine was defeated by the Waukesha Diamonds in July 1877.

Tom Olson – Behind (Catcher)
Tom's alert play has quickly ended many opposing "strikers'" hopes of reaching base. In his two years on the team, his cat-like quickness turned many one-hop foul ticks into putouts for the Diamonds. As a "striker" or base runner, he is always a threat. Tom hit well and scored often in last year's victories over the Greenbush Dead Citys. Tom attends UW-Whitewater during the base ball off-season.

Rob Perkins – Outer Garden (Left Field) and First Base
Rob, a barehanded first baseman and sturdy outer garden "ballist," is an original member of the Diamonds. Ironically, this police officer was recently robbed of a homerun in Menomonee Falls when his towering drive lodged atop a pine tree. The center field defender carefully scaled the 50-foot tree and plucked the ball from a branch before it fell to the ground. This counted as an out, according to rules of the vintage game. A graduate of Ripon College, Rob now patrols the community where the Janesville Mutuals base ball club "whitewashed" their adversaries in the 1870s.

Scott Perkins – Third Base
One of the original Diamonds, Scott returns for his fifth season. He mans what Haney's Base Ball Book of Reference calls the "most onerous" of the base positions – third base. Scott also holds the distinction of being the first Diamond to hit a ball over the left field fence and across Highway 67. As a 2009 graduate of Ripon College, Scott studied psychology on a campus with a rich base ball tradition. The first Ripon College nine initiated play shortly after the Civil War. Its spring 1874 match against Oshkosh Normal (now UW-Oshkosh) marked the first intercollegiate base ball played by any of Wisconsin's normal schools.

Adam Rohloff – Outer Garden and Base Tender
Adam is a versatile defender returning for his third season with the team. His play in the 2008 Cream Citys Festival was especially hot. He collected 10 base "knocks" and sounded the "tally" bell seven times. He also led the Diamonds' "strikers" in their extra-inning match with the St. Louis Unions. Adam lives in Milwaukee and works as a heating and cooling specialist when not donning the Diamond blue.

John Rossbach – Hurler (Pitcher)
As the Diamonds' primary "hurler," John enjoyed his best season in 2008 when he won eight contests. He also claims the Diamonds' only "whitewash." That 6-0 victory occurred against the Oregon Ganymedes in 2007. As a 2009 graduate from UW-Stevens Point, this math major has figured prominently in the team's numbers over the last three years.

Mike Rossbach – Second Base
Mike consistently finds himself at the top of the Diamonds' batting order. His speed and striking ability make it difficult for opposing "hurlers" to keep him off the bases. In a 2008 match against the Greenbush nine, he chimed the "tally bell" four times. Mike also excels as a capable second-base tender or a "right-shortstop." He studies accounting and business at UW-Whitewater and is a native of North Prairie.

Jon Schmidt – Right Field
Jon focuses on making barehanded "fly catches" for the Diamonds. Without question, he is over qualified to cover the right field position. Beadle's Dime Base-ball Player (1860) encouraged 19th-century teams to assign "the poorest player of the nine" to right field due to fewer balls heading in that direction. As a "striker," Jon brings an eight-game hitting streak into the new season. He plans on teaching math when he graduates from UW-Whitewater.

Tom Walsh – Third Base and Behind (Catcher)
As a skillful "ballist" who eagerly accepts his captain's assignments, Tom always shines as a teammate. In 2008 his bat boomed in consecutive victories over the Milwaukee Cream Citys Club. Tom returns for his third Diamond season, as he advances toward graduation from UW-La Crosse. Whether he is studying economics and political science in the classroom, or taking care of business on the diamond, Tom is always on top of the game.