FIU junior pitcher Andres Nunez was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 29^th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday afternoon.

Nunez was the 872^nd pick and the first Panther taken in this year's draft. Last year the Royals drafted FIU signee M.J. Melendez, the son of FIU coach Mervyl Melendez, in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft.

Returning from a rare lat injury that caused him to miss all of the 2017 season, Nunez led the FIU pitching staff in wins and ERA in 2018. Nunez compiled a 6-2 record with a 3.42 ERA.

The redshirt junior right-hander pitched 68 1/3 innings allowed 67 hits, 26 earned runs, 21 walks and struck out 77 batters, which was second on the team to Logan Allen's 85 punchouts.

Nunez, an All-Conference USA selection, earned the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week award on April 23 after pitching seven innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out nine Roadrunners in a 2-1 win over UTSA.

During a stretch from March 29 through May 4, Nunez was 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA. FIU won five of Nunez's six games. Nunez pitched a combined 33 innings, allowed six earned runs and struck out 34 in that span.

In FIU baseball's 45-year history, the Royals have drafted three FIU players and all three have been pitchers. Nunez joins FIU's all-time wins leader Raul Garcia and Edwin Franco as Royals draftees. Garcia (26^th round) and Franco (11^th round) were each drafted in 1999 by the Royals.