CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.? The long wait is over for A.J. Ellis.

The former Austin Peay State University catcher has realized his boyhood dream?he is now a major league baseball player.

After toiling 5½ years in the minor leagues, Ellis got word late Tuesday from the Los Angeles Dodgers that he was being called up to the big league club from the Class AAA Las Vegas 51s. He now will become the third catcher on the Dodgers major league roster along with All-Star Russell Martin and No. 2 receiver Danny Ardoin. He immediately will jump into a pennant race as the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks are battling for the National League West Division crown.

Ellis also became the third Governor to currently dot a major league roster this season. Left-handed relief pitchers Jamie Walker (1990-92) and George Sherrill (1998-99) are with the Baltimore Orioles.  

It has been a long road to the big leagues for the 27-year-old former Governor, who was a four-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer.  But his offensive production “caught up” with his profound defensive ability in his most recent two seasons.

In the just-concluded 2008 season, Ellis batted a career-best .321, with 17 doubles, four triples and four home runs while driving home 59 runs in 84 games. His on-base percentage (.436) was an even more impressive. For a second straight year he finished the season strongly. Over his final 10 games, Ellis batted .517, with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI.  

Earlier this summer he was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star game played in Louisville.

In 2007 while playing at Class AA Jacksonville, Ellis twice was named Southern League Player of the Week. He finished the season batting .269, with 22 doubles and 57 RBI in 110 games played.

A 2003 Austin Peay graduate in mass communications, he became only the fifth player in league history to receive All-OVC honors all four years?as a utility player in 2000, a first baseman in 2001 and as a catcher in both 2002-03.

Ellis left APSU with a career .351 batting average. He still holds Austin Peay's all-time record for hits (263) and ranks among the top 10 in 14 total categories.

He was selected APSU's 2003 Male Joy Award recipient as the most valuable senior athlete in 2003.

Later that spring he was selected in the 18th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and played his first season with the Class-A South Georgia Waves.

He then spent the next two seasons with High Class-A Vero Beach Dodgers, where he played behind current Dodgers catcher Russell Martin in 2004. He then played another two seasons at Class AA with Jacksonville.

He is married to the former Cindy Wall, who played both tennis and volleyball at Austin Peay. They have a daughter, Ainsley Kate, born May 8.

-AP-