Eastman Fast Pitch Hall of Fame welcomes seven member class for 2024

By Derick Kelly

 The Eastman Fast Pitch Association announced the members of their Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Selected this year are Dan DuCharme, Roger Harvat, Jeff Henry, Kevin Lessard and Al McCarthy. Jeff and Brenda Lenzendorf will also be inducted as Friends of Eastman Fast Pitch for their many years of hard work and service to the organization.

Each inductee got the chance to put into their own words how they first got involved with the group and what it means to them. 

First up is Dan DuCharme, “Thank you Eastman community for giving me this honor of being inducted into the Eastman Fast Pitch Softball Hall of Fame. It is a humbling situation that is much appreciated. I was lucky enough to have some success in softball, but that is because I had the opportunity to be surrounded by other great competitors. I always believed softball is about 50 percent physical talent, 30 percent mental talent and about 20 percent attitude where you just have that competitive spirit and love for the game.

I got hooked on this game when I was very young as the bat boy for Slama’s Bar. My dad, Loyde Beers, Pete Mara, John Swatek and numerous others taught me that the right way to play the game is to play hard, play with sportsmanship and then have fun after the games.

Some history of who I had the opportunity to play with. I was only in about seventh grade when Scott Feye told me I could suit up with Pintz Construction. The catch was, they didn’t give me a uniform, so I had to get my mom to go buy a green mesh shirt from Sports World that matched theirs. I never did get a shirt with writing on it.

I then felt like I got promoted to the big leagues when Bernie Boylen asked me to play with FS. He even gave me a uniform. My teammates Lonnie Achenbach, Dan Check and Pat Erdenberger.

My most memorable team ever will be Frank’s Market. When I was about 15, my best friend Rick Mezera, Gary Mezera and Greg Russell decided one night we were getting our own team. Kevin Lessard and myself were going to be the pitchers. We struggled for a few years, but eventually became a contender in the area. I remember being able to throw pretty hard when I started, but I had some control problems and hit more than a few batters. I’ll blame that on my dad’s advice. He always told me to throw it as hard as I could and if the batter couldn’t get out of the way, it was their fault! This might not have been the best advice.

There are numerous other great players I had the opportunity to play with. Thank you to the Eastman Community for keeping this great game alive.”

Next inductee is Roger Harvat. Roger started off playing little league baseball. His father Frank started a softball team called “The Cowboys” when Roger and other neighborhood boys were too old to play in little league. He was the pitcher for the team. Roger was born with a hearing loss and didn’t learn to speak so playing ball was interesting and fun at the Eastman Ball Park.

The third inductee is Jeff Henry. “I started playing fast pitch softball with Prairie City Bank 18 and under team. We played at the state tournament each year and we went on to play in South Dakota and Arizona, where we placed second in the country. I played in Kansas City with Al’s TV from Boscobel one year as well.

I went on to play for Wilkinson Auction out of Muscoda for years. I got to play with my brother and brother-in-law along with several others from Prairie du Chien.

I also went on to  play with Don Stram Logging. We won the state tournament in Portage in 1996. Then I got too old to play, haha. Fast Pitch softball is/was the best game ever.”

The fourth inductee this year is Kevin Lessard. “It is a great honor to be inducted into the Eastman Softball Hall of Fame. I started playing Fast Pitch Softball in 1982 when I was fifteen years old. 

That year, playing with Frank’s Market, we learned many hard lessons from the veteran teams of the early 1980s. Even though 1982 was my first season getting acclimated to the circle, I was asked to travel with the Oak Grove and get my first taste of a Men’s State Tournament. 

In 1984, playing with Al’s TV, we finished the year winning a state title. 1985 was a highlight year, as I was selected to represent the USA at the Junior Men’s ISF World Championship held in Fargo, North Dakota, and it was one of my most memorable tournaments as Team USA made the podium with a silver medal.

Playing fast pitch during an era with highly competitive players like Don Stram and having a pitching mentor like Cecil Pettit was beneficial during intense situations such as pitching 42 innings one day at the 1989 State Tournament and winning the Cobb Corn Boil Tournament, completing the game pitching to 21 batters. 

1995 and 1996 were pinnacle years, winning back-to-back state titles with Cody’s Bar in 1995 and Don Stram Logging in 1996.

I’m fortunate to have met, played with, and competed against some of the greatest athletes Fast Pitch softball has to offer. I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life and hope the sport continues for all those who enjoy the game. Without players, fans, sponsors, and community support, Fast Pitch softball cannot exist. I can’t help but give a special thank you to my parents, who supported me throughout my softball career. They rarely missed a game and were my biggest fans.”

The final individual inductee for 2024 is Al McCarthy. “I started playing fast pitch at 11 years old and played for 40 years. I played at Bush Ballpark for Suchow Dairy for a few years, then to Carol and Clems for 15 years, 10 years with D.A. Diggers, before finishing my career with Christianson’s Mill. I also played in many state tournaments, winning two Class D State Tournaments with D.A. Diggers.”

Being inducted as Friends of Eastman Fast Pitch Softball are Jeff and Brenda Lenzendorf. “Following the path that Jeff’s mom Violet Lenzendorf paved with the Eastman community, Jeff and Brenda Lenzendorf have been active in the Eastman community for over 30 years. It all started when their children Kari, Nick and Katie began playing baseball with the Eastman Little League. The Lenzendorfs organized the t-ball program for kids six-and-under and headed up the Eastman Little League program, complete with uniforms and the construction of the batting cage. It was Jeff’s idea to have a nine and ten-year old Little League game on the 4th of July between Eastman and Seneca with a traveling trophy awarded to the winner.

After their kids went through the Eastman Little League program, Jeff and Brenda worked with their daughters Kari and Katie in the concession stand. Kari started her career in the original small concession stand building in which tubs of ice were used to keep pop cold on the 4th of July. When the new concession stand was built, they continued to help out at that beautiful community facility which is currently at the ballpark. More space required more people to help. When Katie took over at the stand, Jeff or Brenda was often there helping out. The Lenzendorfs worked the concession stand for 15 years before retiring from the stand; however they still try to help out with community projects as much as possible when needed.

“We  are so grateful to be honored as Friends of the Park”, stated Jeff. “The Eastman community has been a big part of my life ever since I was young, and the people that live and work here are like family. We have enjoyed watching kids play ball and then come to the concession stand to get a treat. We have watched kids, now grown adults, bring their kids to the concession stand for treats. Now, we enjoy watching our granddaughters Kaylie, Maddie and Marlee play softball, with the concession stand a necessary stop after their ballgames!”

The ceremony will take place at the Eastman Ballpark on Thursday, July 4 at 3:00 p.m.