As he watched Clate Schmidt warm up prior to Saturday’s game against Maine, Clemson head coach Monte Lee thought to himself, “What an amazing story.”

Just over eight months ago, Schmidt was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that starts in cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. Lymphocytes are in the lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissues.

Schmidt was diagnosed with the cancer in late May, but by September he was back with his Clemson teammates conditioning for the 2016 season, and he was doing it cancer free.

“I have never been through anything like this with a player before,” Lee said. “I have never seen a kid comeback from cancer and fight through cancer. You don’t know how it will turn out. Will he be able to pitch again? If he does, will he be at 100 percent? Will it affect him physically? I think he just enjoys it, and I hope he enjoys it, a little bit more now just being able to get back on the mound and compete.”

Schmidt looked like he was enjoying himself on Saturday. In his first outing since being diagnosed, he pitched into the sixth inning, throwing 77 pitches, including 53 that went for strikes. Officially, he was credited with five innings pitched, allowing four runs off eight hits. He had five strikeouts and walked just one batter.

“Honestly, I did not get very much sleep last night,” the senior said afterwards. “I was just kind of going through everything and thinking about it, especially leading up to warm ups and stuff, I was pretty hyped up and kind of feeling it.

“Once I stepped on the mound for warm ups I kind of dialed it back in. I knew all the work that I had put in the off-season leading up to that, I was going to be really set and was feeling good today.”

Schmidt says Saturday is a day he will never forget. It’s not only because he came back from the cancer, but also because it’s the start of his senior year at Clemson.

“Just being able to start on opening weekend is a huge milestone, but definitely what I have gone through this summer, this will be something I will always remember.”

The righty said there was a lot of fear and angst when he stepped on the rubber Saturday.

“Honestly, there was a flux of so many emotions that it was kind of funny,” Schmidt said. “Before the game I was just trying to sit down and dial it all in. But it was an awesome experience. I was blessed to be able to have it.”

And he got to share it with his parents – Dwight and Renee Schmidt.

“Dad came up crying, mom was crying. It was a special moment,” Clate Schmidt.