Editing Clarke Schmidt (section)

== Early Life and Education ==
Clarke Schmidt was born in Acworth, Georgia, to Dwight and Donna Schmidt. His father, Dwight, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a pilot, has occasionally flown the Yankees’ team plane and threw the ceremonial first pitch to Clarke before a game against the Texas Rangers on May 22, 2025. Schmidt’s older brother, Clate Schmidt, is a former minor league pitcher who battled cancer, inspiring Clarke’s resilience and dedication.

Schmidt attended '''Allatoona High School''' in Acworth, where he played baseball but went undrafted in the MLB Draft. He then enrolled at the '''University of South Carolina''', joining the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team. As a freshman in 2015, Schmidt appeared in 18 games (10 starts), posting a 4.81 ERA with 55 strikeouts. By his sophomore year, he became the team’s ace, recording a 9–5 record with a 3.40 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 17 starts. In his junior year, he went 4–2 with a 1.34 ERA and 70 strikeouts before undergoing Tommy John surgery due to a torn UCL in April 2017.
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