Ashley Kelley of Hermon will attend a softball camp at the University of Maine later this month with a different frame of mind now that she has made a verbal commitment to play for the Black Bears starting in the 2009 season.

“It’ll be a chance to bond with some of the players and spend some time with Stacey and her staff,” Kelley said of UMaine softball coach Sullivan.

Kelley, who will be a senior this fall, informed Sullivan Tuesday of her decision.

Kelley, a righthanded pitcher with a career 0.54 ERA, said she will receive a full scholarship and is projected to pitch for the Black Bears.

“It’s a relief to get the decision out of the way and focus on the future,” she said. “… I’m relieved, but I’m also very excited because it’s something to look forward to.”

Kelley may be the first Hermon athlete to receive a Division I scholarship.

“I’m very happy for her and her family,” said Hermon athletic director Paul Soucy, who was a softball coach for 10 years at Brewer High. “She’s worked very hard. She’s really developed with her confidence and the mental aspect of her game. I’ve seen her go from a pitcher to an all-around ballplayer. She’s got a lot of potential.”

Kelley was also interested in the University of Connecticut after she attended a camp there last summer. And after years of watching games in Orono, Kelley said her goal was to play for the Bears.

“I decided that I really wanted to be closer to home,” she said. “Growing up here, I’ve always had the goal of playing here and being part of the program.”

Kelley had a stellar junior season with a 12-5 record including seven shutouts, two no-hitters, and one perfect game. A member of the All-Penobscot Valley Conference Class B team for the third year in a row, she averaged 1.8 strikeouts per inning, allowed 18 walks and 75.2 percent of her pitches were strikes.

She also batted .490 with nine singles, six doubles, three triples and four home runs.

In her career, Kelley has already recorded 476 strikeouts.

Kelley has been playing this summer with the Southern Maine Flame, an Amateur Softball Association team coached by Steve Martin of Cape Elizabeth. Martin is an assistant coach for the Cape Elizabeth High team that won the Class B state championship last month.

Kelley made an unofficial visit to the UMaine campus on June 18 and is planning to make an official trip this fall so she can continue to get to know the players.

She’ll already have three friends on the team when she gets there – Brewer pitcher Jordan McLain, Bucksport pitcher Terren Hall, and Winslow second baseman Brynne Davis will join the team in 2008.

Kelley will also continue to work with former University of Maine player Lynn Coutts, who is a pitching coach. They’re continuing to tinker with Kelley’s pitches, which include a fastball, a changeup, a drop, a rise, a curve, and a screwball.

“I’m still working on the screwball, to make it [better],” Kelley said. “The rest of them, it’s just fine-tuning.”

Kelley was also a Big East Conference first-team all-star and scholar-athlete in basketball and is a member of the Hermon soccer team. She plans to continue playing all three sports this year.

“It keeps me in shape and keeps me from getting burned out,” she said.

Sullivan cannot comment on recruits until they sign a National Letter of Intent. The early signing period is in November.

The eligibility of all student-athletes is contingent upon admission to the university and compliance with all NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse.