When he picked up the phone, Clate Schmidt had no idea he had just been drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Schmidt, who just wrapped up his Clemson career last week, had just pulled into Founder’s Park with his family in Columbia, South Carolina to watch his little brother, Clarke, pitch on Saturday in Game 1 of the Columbia Super Regional against Oklahoma State.
“I didn’t even know I had been drafted until the Tigers called me and said, ‘Hey! I’m sure you already know by now.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ I had not been on my phone because I was trying to help everybody unload the car and stuff like that,” Schmidt said. “Then they told me, ‘The Detroit Tigers took you in the 20th round.’
“It was unreal. I was so shocked and everybody started crying. It was an awesome moment to experience with my family.”
It was a moment that a year ago was the furthest thing from Schmidt’s mind. It was exactly one year ago on Friday when he began his treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“It is been unreal,” the Clemson graduate said. “It has been a rollercoaster (ride) to say the least. But I have been so blessed to be able to experience this and go through it and mature as an individual. I learned the value of the little things and life itself.
“Just to be able to love the game and the passion I have for it. It has never been stronger and I’m just so excited to take it to the next level.”
The righty took it to the next level alright. Schmidt guided the Tigers to an ACC Championship and to a No. 7 national seed as they posted the most wins by a Clemson team (44) in six years.
Schmidt posted an 8-5 record this year as the eight wins ranked second on the team and first among regular starters. He had a 4.83 ERA as he appeared in 18 games and started 15. He also ranked second on the team with 68 strikeouts and in innings pitched with 85 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 21 walks, which was tied for third amongst those that pitched more than 46 innings.
Saturday marked the third time Schmidt had been drafted by a Major League franchise. He was drafted in the 36 round coming out of high school by the Tigers in the 2013 MLB Draft. Last year, the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the 32 round on the same day he began his chemotherapy treatments.
After becoming cancer free in late July, Schmidt began his journey back and proved his senior year at Clemson was very beneficial in his professional career.
“Getting rid of feeling sick and stuff and feeling so much better and focusing more on being a pitcher as well as the environment and atmosphere Monte Lee and the coaches brought, it was a great new environment for us, especially for me,” Schmidt said. “It allowed me to flourish and do my best. The attitude and the energy they brought really fueled me to get back to the basics of pitching and becoming a much better and more experienced pitcher in the long run.
“I could not be more thankful for that.”
Schmidt showed his thanks by getting stronger at the end of the year, which helped the Tigers roll to a 10-game winning streak, which included a magical run in the ACC Championships.
In his last four starts prior to the NCAA Regional, Schmidt produced a 3-1 record with a 1.43 earned run average, including back-to-back wins over Notre Dame and Louisville in which he pitched deep into the ninth inning. He gave up just one run in 8 1/3 innings of work against the Irish in the final week of the regular season, while he gave up just two runs to the Cardinals, the No. 2 National Seed, in 8 2/3 innings in the second game of the ACC Tournament.
He had a combined 12 strikeouts to just one walk in the two games.
“Playing at Clemson has been an experience unlike any other,” Schmidt said. “I’m so thankful to Clemson. To be able to go through my four years and mature as an individual in the real world and along with being a baseball player, and being able to grow with this group of guys has been great.
“They pushed me beyond my limits and to places I never thought I could have gone to. It has just been a blessing and an honor to be able to be a part of that. The embrace of the Clemson Family throughout these last four years has been incredible and I cannot wait to be able to return and see a couple of games at Doug Kingsmore and some football games as always. It’s been an unreal experience and I would not trade it for anything else.”