ARLINGTON, Texas - Former UTA baseball star Joel Kuhnel received the call up to the Major Leagues this afternoon (Aug. 15), where he will have his opportunity with the Cincinnati Reds. He was drafted by the Reds in the 11th Round (318th pick) of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Kuhnel had his contract selected from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

The Peoria, Ariz. native will get his first taste of the majors after compiling a 2.18 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 14 saves in 53.2 innings between Louisville and Double-A Chattanooga. He's retired most of the opposition this season and owns a 8.4/2.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 24-year-old right-hander is pretty comfortable in the closer role, having recorded 42 saves over the past three seasons.

Kuhnel spent the 2015 and 2016 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 on the year.

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