Mequon, WI – Owning the last name Counsell in the Milwaukee area holds a lot of weight, for brothers Brady and Jack, it means much more when shared on a baseball field.

Flashback to childhood, Brady and Jack Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay playing every sport they could dream of, but baseball was the sport they each fell in love with and helped strengthen their bond. In Little League, they tore up fields together and brought home championships, now they’re in college playing for new ball clubs, but the bond has never changed in Brady’s mind.

“We’ve been super close, we don’t get in fist fights or anything like that like most brothers, we check in on each other a lot throughout the school year and season just to see how things are going. Obviously, a great person to bounce feedback off whether it’s hitting stuff or just life stuff.”

Being together on the ball field has never been a moment they’ve taken for granted, but the highlight of their time together came back in high school when they locked down the middle infield for a season. Playing shortstop and second base, the boys would put on a show every day for anyone who came to watch.

They chased a state championship together, but never got to raise it as teammates. Jack led the Dukes to a championship in his senior year at Whitefish Bay as Brady had to cheer on from the other side of the fence.

Wake up, go to school, play baseball. Everything was done together, until college.

Brady ventured out to Minnesota, playing with the Golden Gophers for his first three seasons, meanwhile, Jack headed the opposite direction to Michigan where he played with the Wolverines as a freshman.

Although the Northwoods League, and Chinooks are no stranger to the brothers, this is the first time they’ve gotten the opportunity to share the field since high school.

Brady played for the Willmar Stingers in 2021 before joining the Chinooks last summer with his last game on July 11th. On July 12th, Jack got his first action with Lakeshore. The chances of playing together looked like they were slipping away quickly. However, with Jack returning to the Chinooks for the 2024 summer following year one at Michigan, the opportunity brought itself back.

When Brady joined the team in mid June, Jack was sidelined with an injury. Another season of playing on the same team and not sharing the field? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Even while Jack was out, the brother’s got to share moments on the field.

With players stepping in as first-base coach for the back half of the season, Jack got his name called on a day Brady was in the lineup. All Brady needed to do was get on base, easy right? Well, if you’re Brady Counsell, you find a way on, no matter what. Known for his aggressive base running, stretching singles into doubles, Brady laced a ball to left field that sent him trotting down to first base to be met by his little brother.

“That was pretty cool, definitely something that I have wanted to do, but never got the opportunity to do and then seeing him stroll down there was pretty special,” recalled Jack of the moment. 

Finally, June 24th came around and with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in town, Brady and Jack found both of their names on the lineup card for the first time in over three years.

Brady was grateful to have the moment again, especially at this level.

“Getting to do it at the college level is something that’s a lot more special. It’s been really cool experience and a lot of fun.” 

From Little League to high school to college Brady and Jack have shared the field at every level, but there’s still one more level. As much of a dream that would be, Jack recognizes the difficulty of getting there, let alone playing together. They dream, for now, of one day facing each other at the professional level, and to have competed on every stage together.

A tight relationship from the day Jack was born, Brady says they don’t fight like brothers often do, but instead have always been super close. Checking in on each other and asking for advice whether it’s about baseball or life.

While navigating new beginnings at their new homes in Illinois and Kansas and working towards their goal of playing professionally, they know that one thing will always be the same, their bond and shared love for baseball.

Wherever their next journey takes them, at the end of the day, they will return home at some point to get some swings in at their old high school or enjoy a car ride together, reminiscing on the summer of 2024 when they got to share the ball diamond together again just outside of their hometown of Whitefish Bay.

It’s a reunion in Mequon, the home of brotherly love.

Article written by Sam Marchant. Image by Chloe Bowers.