Sept. 1, 2009

DETROIT - The wait is over for former University of Memphis shortstop Brent Dlugach, as he was announced as one of six September callups for the Detroit Tigers. Dlugach will join Jeremy Bonderman, Eddie Bonine, Casey Fien, Dusty Ryan and Wilkin Ramirez as the six members of the Tigers Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens to make the jump to the majors for the last month of regular-season action.

"I'm very happy for him," said former University of Memphis head coach and current Texas Rangers third base coach Dave Anderson. "He has worked very hard after his shoulder surgery and the call-up was well deserved."

Dlugach, who earned 2009 Triple-A All-Star recognition in July, is the only one of the callups who has yet to make an appearance with the parent club.

A sixth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Dlugach was on a steady climb to the big leagues before suffering a career-altering injury. Just 22 games into the 2007 season with Double-A Erie SeaWolves, then the 20th best prospect in the Detroit Organization according to Baseball America, Dlugach tore his labrum diving to his right on a ball hit in the hole between shortstop and third base.

Dlugach missed the remainder of the 2007 season and played just seven games for the Gulf Coast Tigers (of the Rookie League) in 2008. A healthy Dlugach returned to the diamond in 2009 to earn all-star recognition as one of the Mud Hens most productive players. He hit .294 in 124 games with a team-best 208 total bases, 137 hits and 36 doubles. He also drove in 59 runs and scored 58 more.

Since the earning a selection on the International League All-Star Team, Dlugach hit safely in all but ten games to the tune of a .323 average with 17 RBI. He has overcome injuries and will look to make his Major League debut this month. In 2007, he played in just 22 games with Double-A Erie before a right shoulder injury cut his season short. The following season, he played in just seven games for the Gulf Coast Tigers in July after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Dlugach was a Single-A All-Star for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League in 2005. The league's top defensive shortstop, he finished the year hitting .283, with 61 RBI, 26 doubles and five homers.

The Houston High School product played in 125 games for Single-A Lakeland Tigers before making the jump to Triple-A Toledo. He hit .207 with two RBI and played in all 10 of Toledo's post-season contests, helping the Mud Hens to the International League Governors' Cup trophy.

In his career at Memphis, Dlugach was a .269 hitter with 91 RBI, 89 runs scored, 31 doubles and 21 home runs. A 2002 C-USA All-Freshman selection, he started in every game he played in, in a U of M uniform. He also earned honorable mention Freshman All-American recognition from Collegiate Baseball in 2002.