Buena Vista Baseball Diamond Award

The Diamond Award recognizes individuals who have shown constant support and encouragement to Beaver baseball, contributing to an ever-stronger Buena Vista for our program and our student-athletes. The award was established in 2023, and honorees are selected by the BVU baseball coaching staff.

Diamond Award Winners

2025 Recipient

Quinn Hildman '02

Steve Eddie and Diamond Award Winner Quinn Hildman
Coach Steve Eddie presents the 2025 Diamond Award to Quinn Hildman '02 on Apirl 8, 2025.

Quinn Hildman has a long history with both BVU basketball and baseball. On the basketball team, he played on two regular-season conference championship teams and a pair of conference-tournament title teams. Once basketball ended, Quinn traded his basketball shoes for spikes and took his place on the diamond. He was instrumental in a turnaround for BVU Baseball. During his senior year the Beavers won 24 games, the most by a Buena Vista baseball team in more than 20 years. 

Ever since, Quinn has consistently given back to BVU. He has assisted Beaver student-athletes through his advice on courses to take, internships to experience, and career opportunities to pursue. 

2024 Recipients

Brandon Wessels '16
Bryce Wessels

Brandon and Bryce Wessles received the Diamond Award in Apr. 2024
Pictured (l to r): Buena Vista University president Dr. Brian Lenzmeier, Brandon Wessels, Bryce Wessels, BVU head baseball coach Steve Eddie. The Wessels received the second annual Diamond Award during a ceremony held on the field between games of a DH against Loras College on Saturday, Apr. 27, 2024.

The Wessels Brothers from Palmer, Iowa received the award for the generous support they have provided – and continue to provide – to BVU baseball to help make the experience of our student-athletes be the best it can be. The flag poles in right-center field at the BVU/Storm Lake HS Baseball Complex stand in memory of their father, Terry Wessels, a great BVU supporter who passed away in 2017. Terry was instrumental in taking the parent pre-game tailgate gatherings to the next level. We thank the Wessels family. 

Brandon and Bryce, both key members of the 2014 conference championship team, stay busy in Palmer with their growing families and their growing business, Wessels Oil Company, which serves customers all over Iowa. 

2023 Recipients

Russ Eddie '60
Dennis “Swede” Anderson '67

Russ Eddie receives Diamond Award in Apr. 2023
Russ Eddie '60 receives his Diamond Award from his father, BVU head coach Steve Eddie, during a ceremony held between games of DH on Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. Not pictured is co-recipient Dennis 'Swede' Anderson.

Russ Eddie and Dennis ‘Swede’ Anderson both played on conference champion baseball teams for the Beavers during their time on campus. The duo continue to provide financial support and encouragement to the program to this day and are being recognized for those contributions.