WHITEHALL – One year removed from a Division Two district championship, Whitehall baseball comes into the 2025 season eager for a repeat. The Vikings enter the season losing five players to graduation. Ryne Christensen (UTL/P), Kyle Stratton (SS), and Issac Vanamberg (2B/P) all played valuable roles in the (26-11) season.
The Vikings’ season virtually ended in the 5th inning of the regional semifinal a season ago. The Lakers of Spring Lake notched four runs in the bottom half of the 5th, which broke a scoreless tie. The Vikings were able to muster up one final run in their season in the 6th inning. Spring Lake would survive and would eventually find themselves in the state semifinal, where they lost to Flint Powers. Needless to say, the 2024 Viking squad had a program-changing season since the last district title for Whitehall came in 2017.
Whitehall is led by veteran coach Warren Zweigle, who is in his 31st season at the helm.
2024 SEASON
26-11 record
2nd in WMC-Lakes
Loss in MHSAA Regional-Semifinal
Swept rival Montague
BATTING
Senior Brock Morningstar will be the lone three-year starter for the Vikings this upcoming season. Morningstar slashed .350/.454/.436 and picked up 10 doubles while knocking in 28 runs. After playing mostly first base his first two seasons on varsity, Morningstar will likely pick up many innings at shortstop this season.
Eli Winters started behind the dish for the Vikings last season as a freshman. Now a sophomore, the left-handed catcher has 28 varsity games under his belt. Winters hit .250 last season and drove in 14 runs. Defensively, Winters threw out seven runners and only recorded two errors in 144 innings.
The leader of the outfield this season will be returning senior Nate Betz. Betz will play the centerfield role yet again this season after displaying solid range and a good arm last season. With just over a .400 on-base percentage and 22 bags a year ago, Betz will likely find himself hitting in the first couple of spots in the Viking lineup.
Myles Welch is the third senior mentioned as a key bat so far, mostly because Whitehall will need the veteran presence to step up at the dish if they want to capture another district title. Welch came on as the starting third baseman after riding the pine the first month of the season. Welch isn’t a guy that will take you 350 feet to dead center but a guy who won’t strike out a ton and will find his way on base.
PITCHING
The Vikings pose a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation that will be vital in conference doubleheaders. Morningstar is one of those guys. The senior offers a lively four-pitch mix with a good run on the fastball coupled with above-average off-speed stuff. Morningstar usually fills up the zone and doesn’t have any command issues. His heater sits around 81-82 MPH, while his off-speed is in the low-mid 70s. Morningstar tossed 47 innings last season and held a 2.68 ERA and struck out 52 batters.
Evan Thomas, a tall and lengthy lefty, boasts a plus fastball to accompany his menacing CB from the left side. Thomas checks in at 6’3″, which makes hitters uncomfortable, specifically in lefty-lefty matchups. Thomas, as a sophomore, threw 25 innings and struck out 22 hitters a season ago.
Welch will be a spot starter and likely eat many innings against out-of-conference opponents. Welch fired 14 2/3 innings last season and posted a 1.43 ERA. Welch has just three pitches: FB, CB, and SL. Curveball is his go-to pitch.
The Bottom Line
Whitehall must stay healthy. With senior Ryan Goodrich being out for the season due to a knee injury, the Vikings can’t afford another loss to their core. Oakridge and Montague, along with Whitehall, will be the key frontrunners to win the conference. Morningstar and Thomas must be on during those doubleheaders, as there isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room in the Lakes division.
2025 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
3/26 – @ Hart DH
3/27 – @ Allendale DH
4/15 – Vs. Montague DH
4/17 – @ Mona Shores DH
4/19 – @ Zeeland East DH
4/22 – @ Ludington DH
4/24 – Vs. Shelby DH
4/29 – Vs. Orchard View DH
5/3 – Vs. To Be Determined
5/6 – Vs. Fremont DH
5/7 – Vs. Western Michigan Christian DH
5/10 – @ Traverse City West DH
5/12 – @ Manistee DH
5/15 – Vs. Mason County Central DH
5/16 – @ Oakridge DH
5/19 – @ Newaygo DH
5/21 – @ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer DH
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