Lawrence senior pitcher Grant Cleavinger pitches against Jefferson City during the River City Baseball Festival at Hoglund Ballpark on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

Former Lawrence High pitcher Grant Cleavinger has found a professional home after signing a contract with the Chicago White Sox.

Cleavinger went undrafted in the MLB Draft but signed with the White Sox on July 16 and was assigned to the Arizona Complex League White Sox, the rookie-level circuit operated by Minor League Baseball.

This signing comes after Cleavinger spent four years as a relief pitcher in college, three of those years at Nebraska after a season with Tulane.

At Lawrence High, Cleavinger was a first-team all-Sunflower League and second-team all-state pitcher in his senior year after having helped lead the Lions to a runner-up finish in the state tournament as a junior. Cleavinger committed to and played for Tulane his first year of college, where he appeared in 20 games.

Cleavinger transferred to Nebraska in 2024 where he held a consistent role as a relief pitcher. In his first year with the Cornhuskers, Cleavinger finished with a 5.06 ERA in 10 appearances. Cleavinger nearly doubled his appearances to 19 with 12.2 innings pitched. He went 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA and held batters to a .239 batting average. Cleavinger finished his Nebraska career with 12 appearances in 2026 with 5.1 innings pitched.

In addition to his work on the field, Cleavinger earned academic all-Big Ten honors in both 2025 and 2026.

The White Sox are at the bottom of the ACL West, which competes against MLB affiliates for the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers.

Cleavinger is the younger brother of Garrett Cleavinger, a Lawrence High alumnus who is a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. The elder Cleavinger has pitched 27.2 innings this season with a 3.58 ERA and was a part of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring.