After 4 1/2 seasons in the minor leagues, the thrill of a lifetime came for Hawai'i's Shane Komine.

The right-handed pitcher was told yesterday that he will be called up from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats to start Sunday for the parent Oakland Athletics against Toronto at McAfee Coliseum.

"I'm excited, nervous, anxious," Komine said in a telephone interview yesterday from Albuquerque, N.M., where the River Cats were playing. "This is what you dream about. I'm finally getting a shot."

Komine, 25, said he will leave for Oakland either tomorrow or Saturday. Asked if the promotion is just for the one start, he said, "I have no idea."

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Komine, a 1998 graduate of Kalani High, was 9-7 with a 3.89 earned run average for the River Cats of the Pacific Coast League. He made 19 starts out of his 20 appearances, striking out 101 while walking 34 in 120 1/3 innings. On Monday, he pitched four-hit ball over eight innings, striking out nine with no walks in a 14-0 win against Colorado Springs.

Komine worked his way through the Athletics' minor league system since Oakland made him a ninth-round selection after his senior season in 2002 at Nebraska, where he was a three-time All-American. He also was a 19th-round selection by St. Louis after his junior season at Nebraska, but opted to return to school.

Komine started the spring season on the Athletics' 40-man roster, but was optioned to Sacramento. Although he had been pitching well of late, the promotion was still a surprise, Komine said.

"Today, after I got through throwing, the manager (Tony DeFrancesco) came into the clubhouse and said, 'You're starting on Sunday,' " Komine said. "It caught me by surprise."

Komine apparently replaces rookie right-hander Jason Windsor, who was optioned to Sacramento on Tuesday. Windsor was 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in two appearances totaling 7 2/3 innings. Windsor had been scheduled to start Sunday against the Blue Jays, who have their own Hawai'i product in relief pitcher Brandon League, a 2001 graduate of Saint Louis School.

Gerald Komine, a fire department captain, said he plans to attend his son's game on Sunday along with Shane's fiancee, Jodi Nakama.

"I was so happy, so proud," Gerald Komine said when Shane called with the news. "There was a lot of emotion. All the hard work that he put in. I'm very proud of him."

Gerald Komine said he has yet to see his son pitch at the Triple-A level. He visited Sacramento in June, but a rainout threw the starting rotation out of order. He wasn't about to miss the opportunity this time.

"I have to be there for that first one," he said.

Komine's promotion will once again bring the total to four players with ties to Hawai'i in the big leagues. The other two are Atlanta pitcher Tyler Yates (Kaua'i High/Hawai'i-Hilo) and Philadelphia outfielder Shane Victorino (St. Anthony). Chad Santos (Saint Louis) was on the San Francisco Giants roster last week, giving him enough time to hit his first big league home run, before being optioned to Triple-A Fresno over the weekend.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.