Kevin Hooper hasn’t given up on playing baseball in the major leagues.

“Hopefully, I’ll get a chance,” said Hooper, a former Lawrence High and Wichita State standout.

Hooper, 28, is in his seventh minor-league season. Signed by Detroit as a free agent last winter, Hooper spent most of spring training with the Tigers, but was assigned to Toledo, the club’s Triple-A team, a couple of weeks ago.

Prior to being sent to the Tigers’ minor-league camp, Hooper had a short meeting with Detroit manager Alan Trammell.

“Trammell told me to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Hooper said. “He told me he loves the way I play and that you never know what will happen.”

Hooper possesses major-league fielding skills, particularly at second base, but his hitting has always been a notch below the big-league level. With three Triple-A teams last season — Albuquerque, Columbus and Omaha — Hooper hit a combined .225.

Hooper, who graduated from LHS a decade ago, only has played second base and shortstop in the minors, but that’s about to change. The Detroit organization envisions him as a utility player who also can be used at third base and in the outfield.

“I’ve never played the outfield,” Hooper said. “But last year in Columbus, I got an outfielder’s glove and spent some time practicing there.”

Hooper spent some innings during spring training at third base, but really hasn’t played there since he saw limited duty at the hot corner as a freshman at Wichita State in the spring of 1996.

As a senior at Wichita State in 1999, Hooper was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference after leading the Shockers in batting (.402) and the MVC in triples and stolen bases. That summer, the Florida Marlins made the 5-foot-10, 160-pounder their eighth-round draft choice.

After five-plus seasons in the Marlins’ farm system, Hooper was designated for assignment last May. Soon thereafter he was picked up by the Yankees and assigned to Columbus, but he asked for his release in July and signed with the Royals’ AAA farm at Omaha where he finished the 2004 season.

During the offseason, Hooper hooked on with the Tigers who view him as an experienced player who could be recalled quickly in case of an injury.

“I’m going to start as a utility guy,” Hooper said, “and hopefully I’ll get some good playing time (with Toledo).”

For the first time since becoming a professional in 1999, he didn’t start a season at either second base or shortstop. The Tigers plan to use Ryan Raburn, a 24-year-old prospect, at second base. Gookie Dawkins, who had a short stint with the Kansas City Royals last season, will be the Toledo shortstop.

The Mud Hens are in Durham, N.C., for their season-opening International League series with the Bulls.