Eagle Diamonds' Bios – 2011 Season

Brent Allen – First Base and Third Base
Brent is a dangerous "striker" who always plays with vigor. He begins his fourth season with the Diamonds. In 2008 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. He now coaches that sport at Carroll University.

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. 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 a native of Mukwonago and currently a student at UW-Whitewater.

Steven Frank – Captain and Shortstop
Steven is a seven year veteran of the team and a 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. Steven also coaches the 21st century version of the 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 City 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 recently retired as Old World Wisconsin's restoration and maintenance superintendent.

Seth Jones – Outer Garden (Center Field)
For the last five 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 City Festival, his booming "ash" led the Diamond "strikers." From his lead-off position, he ignited the team for a hard-fought win over the Downer's 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 excellent defensive range, this lanky "ballist" consistently sparkles at the "dish." In August 2009 Jake collected four "knocks" in a victory over the LaCrescent Apple Jacks. This Mukwonago native is a recent graduate of UW-Whitewater, working in the field of banking.

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 seventh 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 four 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 2008 and 2009 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 policeman 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 seventh 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 graduate of Ripon College, Scott studied 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 fifth 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 Diamond "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 several Diamond "whitewashes." He tossed a 6-0 victory against the Oregon Ganymedes in 2007, a 9-0 shutout against the Milwaukee Grays in 2009, and an 11-0 whitewash against the Greenbush Dead Citys in 2010. As a recent graduate of UW-Stevens Point, this math major has figured prominently in the team's numbers over the last five 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 2009 victory over the Cincinnati Red Stockings, Mike collected three "knocks." He also excels as a capable second-base tender or a "right-shortstop." He is a native of North Prairie and a student at UW-Whitewater.

Jon Schmidt – Right Field
Jon focuses on making barehanded "fly catches" for the Diamonds. Without question, he is overqualified 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 has struck safely in every game he has played for the last three seasons. Like several of the founding officers of the original Waukesha Diamonds' club, Jon works in the local banking industry.

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. More recently in 2010 he collected three base knocks in a win against the Elk Grove Village Bucks. Tom returns for his fifth Diamond season, as a recent graduate of UW-Lacrosse. When taking care of business on the diamond, he is always on top of the game.