College Quest For Davino Ends At Connecticut

WOODBURY, Ct. - The recruiting process went quickly in the eyes of Brett Davino. Before the Nonnewaug High School junior knew it, he was a University of Connecticut commit.

“It went fast, but was really exciting,” the eighth-ranked 2023 shortstop in New England related. “I got a lot of college interest when Sept. 1 came around and things got easier. The next thing I knew I was at UConn.”

A connection took place during the summer and a visit was followed by an offer in September. Two weeks later Davino went to an intersquad practice and “cleared up a couple things” with head coach Jim Penders.

“Two days later I called and said I wanted to be a Huskie,” Davino said.

A Future Games participant, Davino made an impression by earning Best In-Game Hitting honors for Team Connecticut.

“The Future Games was really beneficial,” the 40th-ranked New England junior explained. “It gave me a chance to showcase my skills, not just in-game. It gave me a chance to play against the top prospects around that are not committed.”

The third-rated 2023 shortstop in Connecticut found PBR helpful in his quest to play at the next level.

“It’s a great way to get exposure, whether on instagram or the website,” Davino noted. “It gave me a gateway to colleges with all they do for you with doing the write ups and things. It gives coaches a grasp of what they’re going to see in you.”

Connecticut liked what they witnessed in the 6-0 170-pounder

“The main thing they like is that I’m a lefty running a sub-six 60 that can play anywhere,” Davino said.

Radford, Northeastern and Stony Brook were others highly intrigued in the 16-year-old, with Boston College, Columbia and Dartmouth additional colleges that had been in contact early on in a recruiting process that ended with a commitment to the Big East Conference school an hour away from where he lives.

“When I first got to campus I felt welcome and it felt like I was at home,” Davino reflected. “It’s one of the top baseball programs in the country and the facilities are awesome. I really like the coaches and I love coach Penders with his coaching style and the way he approaches the game.”

The desire to play college baseball began in sixth grade according to Davino.

“It became realistic my sophomore year when I started getting my first calls from D-I coaches,” Davino related. “That’s when playing at a high level came into the picture.”

Davino pointed to Baseball U CT coach Patrick Vigilio with being instrumental along the way.

“He’s done a lot for me as far as exposure to schools while at the same time being able to play on a team and develop around other great guys.” Davino said.

Improvement also helped the cause.

“I’ve been getting in the weight room and putting in the extra time,” Davino noted. “It’s a lot of self-motivation to be better. I’ve been working as hard as I can to improve in all areas.”

Davino, who carries a 3.8 GPA and is looking at business as a college major, believes a strong work ethic will translate well to playing at UConn.

“I want to be a leader,” Davino said. “I can bring motivation, enthusiasm, high endurance and play at a super high level to help the team win, be it with hitting or playing anywhere on the field.”

In making the commitment official, Davino admitted to excitement along with relief.

“The whole recruiting process, as fun as it is, was stressful,” Davino pointed out. “I’m relieved to that point, but at the same time the work hasn’t stopped. There’s even more work to be done now.”

As for a future at Connecticut, Davino looks ahead with anticipation.

“UConn plays a hard schedule overall,” Davino said. “We’ll be playing against some really good competition so I’m really looking forward to that.”