CLEMSON — Some athletes carry an intangible quality called the “deep-breath” factor.

These are the players who give fans peace of mind—the ones who enter the game and, with their presence alone, signal that everything is under control. It is seen in elite NFL quarterbacks, Olympic legends, and NBA greats. 

For Clemson baseball fans last season, it was found in right-handed relief pitcher Lucas Mahlstedt.

The Ormond Beach, Fla., native wrapped up his final collegiate season with a 4-1 record, a 3.00 ERA, and an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 4:1. He also notched 15 saves, tying Clemson’s single-season record.

When Mahlstedt took the mound, fans and coaches alike could exhale. With his signature submarine-style delivery, he became a symbol of late-game stability for Clemson’s program.

Now, a month removed from his dominant senior season, the first-team All-American is preparing to bring his unique skills, both tangible and intangible, to the professional level.

“It’s definitely a weird transition,” Mahlstedt told The Clemson Insider recently. “One day you’re trying to compete for a national championship, and then all of a sudden you get eliminated, and after a day or two, you’re thinking about what’s next.”

According to head coach Erik Bakich on a recent podcast, what came next for Mahlstedt were meetings with MLB scouts about the possibility of playing professional baseball.

“I’m really grateful for this position I’ve been in and for the season I had,” Mahlstedt said. “Just grateful for all the people that helped put me in this place where I feel like I have a set goal of what I want to do.”

To pursue that goal, Mahlstedt is spending his summer in Clemson, creating his own lifting and throwing programs designed to sharpen his edge ahead of the MLB Draft.

Because of his unorthodox sidearm delivery, his training is rarely straightforward. Over the years, Mahlstedt has blended his physics background, strength training, and trial-and-error experience to tailor routines that work for his unique style.

“I’d say I have a different arm slot, so there’s not a whole lot of direction,” he said. “I’ve kind of pioneered my own way through most of it. I’ve definitely taken some things from the strength coaches here at Clemson, and I used to work out at a place down in Florida called Cressey Sports Performance. I’ve taken some of their stuff from the programs they wrote for me.”

Mahlstedt shares much of his process through social media under the username Subbyuniversity, which has accumulated over 15,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. Launched in July 2024, “SubbyU” has become a hub for other sidearm pitchers to learn, share, and grow alongside Mahlstedt’s journey.

“Luckily, I’m looking toward to the draft, and I feel like if I went in any other direction, I wouldn’t be able to continue (SubbyU),” he said. “But since I’m continuing baseball, which I’m really fortunate to do, I’m putting out videos. I posted one today… “It’s just a fun hobby to do outside, but whatever my unique arm slot is, to make it known and to bring together all the people who throw from a weird angle.”

Bakich has emphasized the importance of building a personal brand like “SubbyU,” but for Mahlstedt, the most valuable lessons from his coach went beyond marketing.

“The mental side of things has been awesome. That’s kind of (Bakich’s) thing,” Mahlstedt said. “That’s what he’s known for, making guys better men, not just better baseball players. I think a lot of what we’ve done in the classroom has not only prepared me for performing in the heat of the moment or competing, but also taking that mindset elsewhere, whether I continue to do baseball or whatever job I get after.”

While fans eventually grew to expect Mahlstedt’s clutch performances, he knows that consistency didn’t come overnight. His reliability was built on years of both failure and success, and the lessons that came with each.

“I was very fortunate to have many innings my freshman year, sophomore year, and junior year in relief,” he said. “There was a lot of success and failure throughout those years, and I was able to work through those and find the positives in all those experiences and formulate and set routines that I know work for me and output success.

“I just sell out for that… knowing my attack, knowing my plan, and going at it 100 percent. Whatever happens, happens—but I know I executed with my full 100 percent.”

That mindset helped the Tigers finish 45-18, compete for an ACC Championship, host an NCAA Regional for the third consecutive season, and propelled Mahlstedt to become a Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist and first-team All-ACC recipient.

His commitment, routine, and mental strength gave Clemson fans a reason to breathe easy in the tensest moments of the season. Now, those same fans will hold their breath, waiting to see where Mahlstedt lands during the MLB Draft, which will be held July 13-14 in Atlanta.