Kantola with Unisun Sports CEO, former ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon
Kaleb Kantola Signs Free Agent Contract with Washington Nationals
7/15/2026 11:21:00 AM | Baseball
NASHVILLE – After a standout career in the bullpen, former Lipscomb Baseball player Kaleb Kantola has signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals organization.
Ending a stellar collegiate career for the Bisons this past spring, the Monmouth, Oregon native made 40 appearances in four seasons, throwing 72.1 innings and striking out 85 batters on a .212 batting average against.
He becomes the 15th player in Lipscomb's program history to sign an undrafted free agent contract to a Major League Baseball organization.
Kantola never expected the call. After grinding through six years of college baseball, managing injuries, and watching the MLB Draft come and go without his name, he braced for closure. "Honestly, my expectations were low," Kantola said. "If I'm done, I'm ready to be done, but I'm going to keep my arm ready, I'm going to be physically as ready as possible."
That patience paid off. Instead of a team, it was his advisor who called with the news. "My advisor called me and my parents were on the line and said, 'Hey, the Washington Nationals just signed you,'" he said. "I was like, no way, let's freaking go. I was pumped."
For Kantola, the moment wasn't just about a contract — it was validation after years of work. "It's the best news you could ever receive after such a grueling last six years of grinding through some injuries," he said. "It's rewarding. All the people that pour into you, it's a testament to all the good people around to help you get to where you're going."
Sticking with the Bisons
In a college baseball landscape defined by constant movement, Kantola chose loyalty. Through the transfer portal era, he stayed at Lipscomb, trusting the coaches who believed in him from the start. "I'm a big believer in not being able to let someone buy your loyalty," he said. "You just got to stick it out, and that's kind of what I've learned from my parents. The grass may look greener on the other side, but it's not always true."
Even when other opportunities surfaced, he remained grounded. "Before this last year, I probably could have gone somewhere else if I wanted to," Kantola said. "But you're not guaranteeing yourself a spot to pitch, and I know while I'm here that I got more than enough resources to help me be successful. There's no reason to leave."
That decision was reinforced by the people who helped shape him. "Everyone does a good job pouring into the players," he said. "It's a great place. It develops players."
And it paid off. In Kantola's final season with the Bisons in 2026, he recorded nine saves in 17 appearances to earn All-ASUN Second Team honors. Posting a .191 batting average against, he struck out 30 batters in 27.2 innings. His numbers earned him a spot on the Stopper of the Year Watch List, announced by the National Baseball Writers Coaches Association.
During the ASUN Tournament, he fired 3.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team as he helped propel his team to the ASUN Tournament Championship.
Belief Through Adversity
Kantola's path wasn't linear. After labrum surgery, he faced long days of rehab and uncertainty. "It hasn't always been pretty coming off labrum surgery," he said. "There's been plenty of days where I'm trying to throw as hard as I can and I'm topping out at 85, and he's [Robert Zeigler] just like, what's going on?" Despite the struggles, his coaches never gave up on him. "I owe Z a lot," Kantola said of his pitching coach. "They had to see it for me, for me to almost believe in myself. I thank them for that."
Along with sharing his appreciation for the coaching staff, he was appreciative of athletic trainer Jake Hopcroft for helping him through the surgery and rehab to get him back to form.
His resilience transformed him from starter to reliever and eventually to closer, recording 11 career saves in a Bisons uniform. "I've been better out of the bullpen," Kantola said. "There's no reason to try to go back into being a starter when I'm kind of a high-effort guy. I like coming out and throwing pretty high effort and just going after dudes for short stints."
Ready for the Next Chapter
The transition to professional baseball comes with familiar faces. "I talked to their pitching coordinator for the minor leagues, Will Hawks, who was a coach here," Kantola said. "The Director of Pitching is Grayson Crawford, my first pitching coach when I got to Lipscomb. I already have a good connection there, which is very helpful."
He reports this weekend in West Palm Beach, Florida, home of the Nationals' Spring Training site, in the Florida Complex League. "Once I get there, I'll be working my way up, throwing a couple of bullpens, getting ready to throw in the rookie league," he said. "I'll be ready for whatever happens."
Through it all, Kantola remains grateful. "I owe the world to them," he said of Lipscomb. "There's a million people that helped me get here. I don't get this opportunity if it's not for them pouring into me every day."
From staff to coaches to teammates, he sees every role as essential. "Even the lady that takes care of our trash, cleans our bathroom — all the work she's putting in is going into winning just as much as the highest level of our head coach," Kantola said. "All those little things just culminated together. It's a full-circle moment. It's a blessing, really.".
Ending a stellar collegiate career for the Bisons this past spring, the Monmouth, Oregon native made 40 appearances in four seasons, throwing 72.1 innings and striking out 85 batters on a .212 batting average against.
He becomes the 15th player in Lipscomb's program history to sign an undrafted free agent contract to a Major League Baseball organization.
Kantola never expected the call. After grinding through six years of college baseball, managing injuries, and watching the MLB Draft come and go without his name, he braced for closure. "Honestly, my expectations were low," Kantola said. "If I'm done, I'm ready to be done, but I'm going to keep my arm ready, I'm going to be physically as ready as possible."
That patience paid off. Instead of a team, it was his advisor who called with the news. "My advisor called me and my parents were on the line and said, 'Hey, the Washington Nationals just signed you,'" he said. "I was like, no way, let's freaking go. I was pumped."
For Kantola, the moment wasn't just about a contract — it was validation after years of work. "It's the best news you could ever receive after such a grueling last six years of grinding through some injuries," he said. "It's rewarding. All the people that pour into you, it's a testament to all the good people around to help you get to where you're going."
Sticking with the Bisons
In a college baseball landscape defined by constant movement, Kantola chose loyalty. Through the transfer portal era, he stayed at Lipscomb, trusting the coaches who believed in him from the start. "I'm a big believer in not being able to let someone buy your loyalty," he said. "You just got to stick it out, and that's kind of what I've learned from my parents. The grass may look greener on the other side, but it's not always true."
Even when other opportunities surfaced, he remained grounded. "Before this last year, I probably could have gone somewhere else if I wanted to," Kantola said. "But you're not guaranteeing yourself a spot to pitch, and I know while I'm here that I got more than enough resources to help me be successful. There's no reason to leave."
That decision was reinforced by the people who helped shape him. "Everyone does a good job pouring into the players," he said. "It's a great place. It develops players."
And it paid off. In Kantola's final season with the Bisons in 2026, he recorded nine saves in 17 appearances to earn All-ASUN Second Team honors. Posting a .191 batting average against, he struck out 30 batters in 27.2 innings. His numbers earned him a spot on the Stopper of the Year Watch List, announced by the National Baseball Writers Coaches Association.
During the ASUN Tournament, he fired 3.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team as he helped propel his team to the ASUN Tournament Championship.
Belief Through Adversity
Kantola's path wasn't linear. After labrum surgery, he faced long days of rehab and uncertainty. "It hasn't always been pretty coming off labrum surgery," he said. "There's been plenty of days where I'm trying to throw as hard as I can and I'm topping out at 85, and he's [Robert Zeigler] just like, what's going on?" Despite the struggles, his coaches never gave up on him. "I owe Z a lot," Kantola said of his pitching coach. "They had to see it for me, for me to almost believe in myself. I thank them for that."
Along with sharing his appreciation for the coaching staff, he was appreciative of athletic trainer Jake Hopcroft for helping him through the surgery and rehab to get him back to form.
His resilience transformed him from starter to reliever and eventually to closer, recording 11 career saves in a Bisons uniform. "I've been better out of the bullpen," Kantola said. "There's no reason to try to go back into being a starter when I'm kind of a high-effort guy. I like coming out and throwing pretty high effort and just going after dudes for short stints."
Ready for the Next Chapter
The transition to professional baseball comes with familiar faces. "I talked to their pitching coordinator for the minor leagues, Will Hawks, who was a coach here," Kantola said. "The Director of Pitching is Grayson Crawford, my first pitching coach when I got to Lipscomb. I already have a good connection there, which is very helpful."
He reports this weekend in West Palm Beach, Florida, home of the Nationals' Spring Training site, in the Florida Complex League. "Once I get there, I'll be working my way up, throwing a couple of bullpens, getting ready to throw in the rookie league," he said. "I'll be ready for whatever happens."
Through it all, Kantola remains grateful. "I owe the world to them," he said of Lipscomb. "There's a million people that helped me get here. I don't get this opportunity if it's not for them pouring into me every day."
From staff to coaches to teammates, he sees every role as essential. "Even the lady that takes care of our trash, cleans our bathroom — all the work she's putting in is going into winning just as much as the highest level of our head coach," Kantola said. "All those little things just culminated together. It's a full-circle moment. It's a blessing, really.".
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballWednesday, June 17
Thursday, April 30
Thursday, April 02
Wednesday, March 04
