In March of 2013, 20-year old Kyle Kubat stepped on the mound for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the first time, however, he has been around the game of baseball for much longer than that.
“I’ve been going to College World Series games for as long as a can remember,” said Kubat, who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, the home of College Baseball’s Championship Series .
Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, Kubat would idolize New York Yankees’ shortstop, Derek Jeter, going as far to say that the former Yankee captain inspired him to play the game. Kubat attended the University of Nebraska when Jeter hung up his cleats, as Kyle’s career was just beginning.
“When I was nine years old, I got Roger Clemens’ autograph at a Yankee game in Kansas City, and was one person away from getting Jeter before he took off,” Kubat said about almost getting “ink to baseball” with Derek Jeter.
In 2013, 20-year old Kyle Kubat stepped on the mound for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the first time, and did not disappoint. In three seasons as a Cornhusker, Kubat went 14-7 with a 3.13 earned run average (ERA) in 201 innings pitched, striking out 122 hitters in the process.
His senior year would be a microcosm of his college career, posting a 2.97 ERA to go alongside a 1.24 WHIP in 94 innings pitched. Kubat went undrafted in 2015, however, would sign with the Kansas City Royals shortly after.
Kubat was famously known by his teammates for his unorthodox antics, including pre-game routines, jumping the guardrails in the dugout instead of using the stairs and lifting his teammates on his shoulders in the dugout.
“I’ve had some great innings, I’ve had some good innings, and I’ve had some innings that I wish I could erase from my memory,” Kubat said when discussing his success at the collegiate level.
After signing with the Kansas City Royals, Kubat would be sent to the Arizona League, and then A ball, before Kubat would be acquired by the Chicago White Sox organization for cash, being sent to Double-A Birmingham as a result.
After going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 7 games for the Birmingham Barons, the organization would send Kubot down to Single-A Kinnapolis, where the left-hander would fare even better, going 3-2 with a 1.12 ERA through 21 appearances.
There have been many great rivalries in sports, and when asked about going back in time to be apart of any type of rivalry, Kubat would leave the sport of baseball, saying that he’d love to get a chance to team with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I remember Derek Fisher drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key in a playoff game against the Spurs to win it, I think being apart of that era of Lakers history would’ve been pretty cool to be just a fly on the wall.”
Kubat’s off-the field personality is far from his on-the field personality, as Kyle’s mentality shifts before taking the mound for the Charlotte Knights, as he is capable of channeling his intensity on the mound.
“You can never get to high, and you can never get to low,” Kubat said when talking about his emotions on the mound. “Being able to not ride the roller coaster of emotions in this game is very, very critical to your success on the mound.”
Going into September, Kubat is 5-3 with a 5.63 ERA with the Charlotte Knights, as he hopes to one day dawn the black pinstripes on the south side of Chicago.
