You can call him 100K Patel. Karan Patel becomes the first UTSA pitcher to register 100 strikeouts in a single season.



UTSA: 4

Charlotte: 3#BirdsUp🤙 pic.twitter.com/E33hVt807n — UTSA Baseball ⚾️ (@UTSABSB) May 16, 2019

By Sameer BhucharKaran Patel, a 22-year-old right-hander with a 94mph fastball, made history Tuesday when he was drafted into Major League Baseball.The Sugar Land native became the first player of Indian origin and the second-highest draft pick in UTSA program history when the Chicago White Sox selected him with the third pick of the seventh round (200th overall).Patel was a prolific pitcher at Kempner High School, leading the school to two district championships. He went on to star at UTSA where he earned 2019 All-Conference USA First Team honors after posting a 2.84 ERA and striking out 104 batters in 92.0 innings of work. He became the first UTSA pitcher in the 28-year history of the program to record 100 strikeouts in a season. He earned an 11-16 record as a Roadrunner, with a career 4.36 ERA.Patel links his baseball skills to his unique background as a national-team level cricket player. His father, an elite cricket talent in his own right, introduced the younger Patel to the sport.“It comes from my dad [Kuldeep],” Patel told MLB.com after being drafted. “He grew up playing. He made the national team for the USA and just growing up, he always had me around.“Slowly I got into it, and then as high school came around, I took it more seriously and got my first opportunity in 2012 to represent the Under-19 USA team. Got another chance in '15 and a third chance in '16.”Patel uses fundamentals he learned as a cricket bowler in his practice as a baseball pitcher.“[Cricket bowling] helps my arm slot and my ability to spin the ball,” Patel said.White Sox scouts began paying attention to him early on and followed him throughout his collegiate career. They were impressed with his throwing style and the speeds he generates on pitches.“He’s got a good arm,” said White Sox director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler of Patel. “He’s 90-94 [mph]. It’s loose. It’s easy.Patel will have an opportunity to work his way through the White Sox farm system before being called up to the big show.