Former Florence RedWolf Clarke Schmidt, made his Major League debut September 4 for the New York Yankees. Schmidt entered relief in the fifth inning, allowing two earned runs and striking out one in his 1 1/3 innings of work in the Yankees 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Schmidt was drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Yankees out of the University of South Carolina. The right-hander is the second ranked prospect in the Yankees system and the 93rd overall on MLB’s Top 100 prospects list for 2020. In two minor league seasons, Schmidt accumulated a 3.39 ERA and 132 strikeouts over 114 inning pitched. He began the 2020 season at the Yankees alternative training site before being added to the active roster in preparation for the second game of the team’s double header with Baltimore.

Schmidt played for the RedWolves during the 2015 summer, finishing with a 8.31 ERA and 10 strikeouts over eight innings pitched in three starts. His debut marks the 138th all-time former CPL player to make their major league debut and the eighth of the 2020 MLB season. Schmidt’s debut also pushes the RedWolves’ major league alumni total to 17.

About Coastal Plain League:

The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 24th season in 2020, the CPL features 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,600 alumni drafted and 138 alums – including 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor – make their Major League debut. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball.