WHITEHALL – Once Isaac VanAmberg puts on the “goon goggles,” you know he means business.
The Whitehall senior, who is in his third season holding down his spot at No. 1 doubles for the Vikings’ tennis team, is not flashy by any means. Behind those sunglasses, however, is a quiet competitor who will occasionally express emotion.
That’s his M.O. in both sports he plays: Tennis and baseball.
“The first day of practice after I got them, (Whitehall tennis coach Greg McManus) was like, ‘Are you wearing skiing goggles or something?’ I was like, ‘No, coach, they’re my new sunglasses,’” VanAmberg said with a smile.
Nicknamed “Ike,” VanAmberg is a well-rounded individual. In addition to athletics, he plays trombone in the band, carries a 3.77 GPA, and plans to pursue a career in criminal justice.
Baseball is clearly the No. 1 sport for VanAmberg. It’s the sport he’s played the longest and the one in which he’s poured in the most time.
VanAmberg picked up tennis his freshman year and he’s proven a quick study. Last season, he earned Division 4 all-state honorable mention accolades when he partnered with Sam Cole.
VanAmberg is looking to repeat with all-state honors in tennis, but he’s also hoping his Whitehall team can advance to state finals weekend with a strong finish in the Division 4 regional hosted by Traverse City St. Francis on Thursday.
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
This season, VanAmberg has partnered with a combination of Patrick Cole or Ian Sampson and he’s compiled a 21-9 record. VanAmberg started the season partnering with Cole, then he teamed with Sampson for a bit, and now he’s back with Cole.
VanAmberg said it can be difficult to switch doubles partners. It just takes some time to get to know a partner’s strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies and for the two players to mesh.
Regardless of what happens at Thursday’s regional, McManus said VanAmberg has been a good leader for the Vikings tennis team. VanAmberg most enjoys playing at the net and from time to time, you’ll hear him shout “Let’s go!” after a good shot.
“He brings the ‘it’ factor. He’s a positive role model and he works his butt off. He brings energy, his hard work, and he just brings good, honest leadership to the team,” McManus said.
VanAmberg, 17, the eldest of Matt and Amie VanAmberg’s three children, attended Coopersville until he transferred to Whitehall in fourth grade.
VanAmberg has been playing baseball since grade school. It was around that time when he adopted his nickname – there were two Isaacs on his team and he welcomed the “Ike” moniker.
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
Through maturity and his offseason work with weight training and plyometrics, VanAmberg’s physique and progress on the baseball diamond have been evident. He’s filled out his 5-foot-10 frame, weighing in at 180 pounds now.
VanAmberg pitched well as a sophomore on Whitehall’s baseball team in 2022. The right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.90 ERA, and he struck out 46 in 38 innings. However, he struggled in the batter’s box with an average of .169.
VanAmberg went to work and became a completely different hitter in his junior season last spring. He batted .389 with five doubles, one triple, 29 RBIs, and 25 runs scored from the Vikings’ No. 2 or No. 3 spot in the lineup. He remained steady on the mound with a 4-2 record in 10 starts with a 2.56 ERA, as he struck out 54 in 38 1/3 innings.
“When you look at the kid, he doesn’t pass the eye test. He’s not fast or super strong, but he’s a quiet competitor for sure,” said Whitehall baseball coach Warren Zweigle, who a few years ago was uncertain whether VanAmberg would be a major contributor as a pitcher and early last season considered having somebody DH for him.
VanAmberg, who plays second base or third base when not pitching, has become a plus player for the Vikings. Last season, he sported the second-best batting average on the squad behind second-team all-stater Kyle Stratton.
“We thought we had a pretty good pitcher (in VanAmburg last year) and then he just started hitting the heck out of the ball,” Zweigle said.
The pitcher’s mound might be VanAmberg’s favorite spot on the baseball field.
“I kind of feel, like, in control of the game and it’s a way to boost my, I don’t know, confidence or whatever. I’m in control of that,” he said.
When it comes to school, VanAmberg spends half of his day in the Career Tech Center’s criminal justice program. It’s his second year in the program and he benefitting from a practical education with the Norton Shores Police Department.
VanAmberg said he’s interested in criminal justice because he’s always wanted to protect and to serve. It’s been an eye-opening experience at times.
“For me, you’re doing a different thing every day – maybe not the exact same thing, but pretty much a different thing every day,” VanAmberg said.
“I haven’t seen a lot of action, but yesterday I was with Corporal (Jacob) Brace and we had just gotten back from (Mona Shores High School) and we were going back to the police department and there was a call about a crash. We were right around the corner, so he zoomed, lights on, horns, everything, zoomed, and going to it. That’s probably the craziest thing I’ve seen so far.”
McManus likes what he’s seen from VanAmberg with how he’s balancing his time with different interests rather than putting all his eggs in one basket.
The future looks pretty bright for VanAmberg, with or without his shades.
“He understands by spreading himself out, he knows how to prioritize and he’s committed to everything and lot of people can’t commit to everything to the degree that he’s doing and be that successful,” McManus said. “It’s pretty impressive. He’s just a good kid.”
Photo by Courtney Jimison | CatchMark
