Like many athletes at Chicago Christian, senior outfielder Nate Vis is part of a family legacy.
And while Nate learned plenty from his two older brothers, he’s now trying to share some knowledge with his younger sibling, Aaron — a sophomore on the junior varsity baseball team.
But Nate’s greatest piece of advice is something he has tried to take to heart himself.
“I’m trying to pass the torch,” Nate said. “Aaron just rejoined baseball, and I’m just encouraging him and telling him that this game is meant to be fun. It’s not supposed to be so serious.
“I struggled with that last year. This year, I’m just trying to have as much fun as I can and spread that to him as well.”
Vis certainly had a good time Wednesday night. His two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a tie and opened the floodgates for the host Knights, who pulled away for a 12-3 win over Bremen in Palos Heights.
Vis finished 2-for-4 with the two RBIs and two runs. Micah Buikema also drove in two runs, while Christian Flutman drew four walks, stole seven bases and scored three times.
Michael Millaney earned the win on the mound for Chicago Christian (4-1). He struck out seven, allowing three earned runs on five hits over six innings.
The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Vis came up with two on and two outs. He ripped a two-run double to left-center.
Vis, who was batting in the ninth spot in the Knights’ lineup, had been 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a groundout before the big hit.
“Confidence is key when it’s time to bounce back after some not so good at-bats,” Vis said. “It’s difficult but you rely on your teammates a lot. We have a lot of morale guys in the dugout.
“A lot of my friends, we’ve been with each other for so many years so I can just rely on them and they pick me up. It’s also just the coaches encouraging me.”
Jose Hernandez led Bremen (1-2) with a two-run double. Jack Banda singled, walked and scored. RJ Harris went four innings, allowing three earned runs on just two hits while striking out four.
Vis’ clutch double, however, sparked the five-run rally for the Knights.
Chicago Christian coach Brandon Hickey has worked extensively with Vis on boosting his self-belief.
“Last year, I think we saw him have a lot of ups and downs mentally where he had a hard time trusting himself,” Hickey said. “I think that extra year of varsity experience has helped him just calm down, have a better approach in certain situations and find some of that confidence in himself that we have in him.”
The mental game was also key for Millaney, who allowed three runs in the second inning but shut down the Braves after that.
“I really think it was just nerves,” Millaney said. “It was my first start of the year. I’ve been relieving in a few games and I was pretty confident going into (Wednesday), but the nerves still got to me.
“I adjusted in the later innings and, overall, I overcame that.”
Vis, meanwhile, feels he can help his teammates through his perspective as a multisport standout. He was a starting defender for the Knights in soccer last fall.
“As a center back, you kind of have to be the leader of the team,” Vis said. “So, on the baseball team, maybe I’m not the biggest leader because we have so many other seniors, but that experience from soccer helps a lot. I know how to teach younger guys as well.”
