By Ben Rikard | UTAMavs.com

ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel heard his name called Saturday when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 11th round of the MLB Draft.

The pick gives UTA a draft pick in eight consecutive seasons and at least one selection in 18 of the last 19 drafts. It is the 16th straight year the Mavs have had a draftee.

"I'm are very happy for Joel," coach Darin Thomas said. "He's worked very hard to get this chance. He's done a lot of great things to earn this chance and we know he is going to continue to work hard at each level he is at."

Kuhnel spent the last two seasons with the Mavericks after transferring from Central Arizona College and was one of the most reliable arms on the UTA staff in that span. In two years with the Mavs Kuhnel went 10-8 with a 3.29 ERA, striking out 96 hitters with just 34 walks issued in 156.0 innings on the mound.

He was the Opening Day starter for UTA in 2016 and worked through a midseason injury to still make a dozen starts, going 6-4 and ranking ninth in the SBC with a 2.99 ERA for the season. The 6-5, 265-pound righty had a career-high nine strikeouts this year at eventual co-SBC champion South Alabama and had a career-long outing as a sophomore when he threw 9.1 innings against Georgia State.

Kuhnel thrust himself onto the radar of scouts in the summer of 2015 in a stellar performance as part of the Liberal Bee Jays in the Jayhawk League. He finished the summer ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the league by both Perfect Game and Baseball America after going 2-0 with three saves in 15 appearances, registering 20 strikeouts with just two walks issued while posting a 0.00 ERA for the season.

UTA has had 61 total players taken in the MLB Draft since the program's inception in 1969 with Kuhnel being the 21st player selected since Thomas took over the program in 2008. He was the second selection for the Mavericks this season after senior Matt McLean was taken on Friday in the ninth round by the Boston Red Sox.