Brittany Duclos already had the sweatshirt.

But when things didn't work out with the University of Maine softball program, which changed coaches after the 2008 season, Duclos thankfully had a backup plan.

This summer, she gave a verbal commitment to play for the UConn softball team, joining a parade of locals in that program along with East Lyme's Meghan Tierney, Griswold's Jessica Arremony and Waterford's Jen Ward, the last three players of the year for The Day All-Area team.

Duclos, Fitch High School's all-state shortstop, is entering her senior year.

”It was kind of confusing,” Duclos said of the situation at Maine, which offered her a scholarship in January of this year before the coaching change. “After that, I e-mailed (UConn coach Karen Mullins) and we started e-mailing back and forth.

”I pretty much already knew I wanted to go to UConn. I love everything about it, the campus, the program.”

Mullins offered Duclos a spot in the program at the beginning of July, Duclos said. Duclos, who took an unofficial visit to the Storrs campus, took about a week to think about it, then called Mullins back and accepted.

Duclos will make an official campus visit in November and can sign a national letter of intent beginning Nov. 12, at which time Mullins is allowed to comment.

UConn finished 28-22 last season with a berth in the Big East Conference Tournament semifinals.

”I'm very excited,” Duclos said. “It's good to know right now where I'm going. It's a relief.”

Duclos hopes to major in kinesiology or “something with strength and conditioning.”

A power hitter, Duclos batted .472 last season for Fitch (24-3), which won the Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division and postseason tournament and reached the semifinals of the Class LL state tournament. She finished with 40 hits, 35 RBI and 30 runs scored.

Duclos had a personal trainer prior to the season and hopes to return to lifting weights for this offseason, but also credits Keith Turgeon, whose daughter Brianna was Fitch's freshman second baseman.

Turgeon took both girls to the batting cage at last once a week in the fall and winter, Duclos said.

”It's good to know that all my hard work had paid off,” Duclos said. “But I love doing that stuff. It wasn't hard or anything. ... (When the season started), it didn't take us long to start hitting.”

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