Former Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Shah is Frontier League all-star

~ The former Southeast Missouri State standout is encountering success in professional baseball

It took Asif Shah a couple of years to reach the professional ranks after he finished his baseball career at Southeast Missouri State.

Shah has made up for lost time, ranking among the Frontier League's top players this season. His impressive campaign was rewarded with a selection to tonight's Frontier League All-Star Game in Avon, Ohio.

"I was pretty excited when I found out [last week]," said Shah, who also was selected to participate in the Frontier League Home Run Derby on Tuesday night.

Shah, who completed his Southeast eligibility in 2007, is in his second season with the Normal (Ill.) CornBelters. The right fielder is hitting .324 with nine home runs, 12 doubles and 29 RBIs. He ranks seventh in the league in homers and eighth in batting average.

Those numbers made Shah an all-star candidate, but he said he tried not to get caught up in thinking about whether he would be picked.

"Guys had talked about it. I knew that I was up there in some offensive categories," Shah said. "I didn't really want to make it a focal point. I just wanted to keep playing my game."

Shah, who played two seasons at Southeast after transferring from junior college, was a two-way contributor as a hitter and pitcher for the Redhawks

The native of Cincinnati made the all-Ohio Valley Conference first team as a senior in 2007, batting .312 with a team-high 50 RBIs and leading the squad in pitching wins with a 7-3 record.

Shah then played two summers with the Plaza Tire Capahas while he tried to hook up with a professional organization. He finally got a chance when he joined an independent team in Long Beach, Calif., late in the 2009 season.

After playing about 1 1/2 months for the Golden Baseball League squad -- batting .345 in 18 games -- Shah was traded in the offseason to Normal. He had a strong 2010 campaign, hitting .316 with four homers, 19 doubles and 34 RBIs.

"I had an OK year last year, and I've felt really good this year," said Shah, who added he's happy he no longer pitches and can concentrate on playing just one position. "I feel like I've improved over the last few years. I made a few adjustments at the plate, I've gotten stronger. I think all of that. ... More consistent is probably a better term."

Many players who compete on the independent level were once on minor league teams affiliated with a major league organization. The ones who weren't hope to get to that level some day.

Shah is no exception, although he doesn't obsess about it.

"If it happens, it happens. But if not, I'm enjoying my time right now," he said. "I'm not going to think that far ahead to where it alters the way I play."

Shah now makes his home in Normal and works at a baseball facility during the offseason.

"It's pretty much baseball all the way around for me now," he said.

Which is the way he wants to keep things as long as he can.

"Absolutely," Shah said. "I want to play as long as I'm having a good time and having success."