Tampa Catholic's Shane Rowland selected for Aflac All-American Game

Tampa Catholic catcher Shane Rowland is one of 40 players from across the nation selected to play in this year's Aflac All-American Game, one of the top showcase games for rising high school seniors.

It's the fourth time in as many years that there will be a Hillsborough County representative in the game. Plant SS/RHP Mychal Givens played in last year's game, Riverview LHP Anthony Ferrara played in the 2007 game and Hillsborough OF Michael Burgess participated in 2006. All three were drafted.

This year's game will be played on Aug. 16 at PETCO Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, and will be televised on Fox Sports Net. The game will be played in a East vs. West format.

Players are selected by Perfect Game Cross Checker. Thirteen players from last year's game were drafted in the first round last month. Givens was drafted in the second round by the Orioles.

Rowland hit .370 with 7 doubles, 5 home runs and 28 RBIs for the Crusaders (20-7) last spring. He was a Times All-Hillsborough County honorable mention selection.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Rowland played in last year's Area Code Games for the Yankees team and just recently competed in the Tournament of Stars, an invite-only competition that determines selections for the U.S. Under-18 National Team. Tampa Catholic coach Rich Arena said that some 70 colleges are recruinting Rowland.

"When you look at him, he's not 6'4", 220, so he doesn't stand out as much, but when you see him play you can tell he has all the tools," Arena said.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA