Lauren Bernett, a softball player at James Madison University who was recently selected Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week, has died, according to the school. She was only 20 years old at the time.
JMU officials did not specify the cause of death in a statement released Tuesday morning, but said the event was “devastating.”
“Our hearts are aching, hearing the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes,” officials said … “We are a tight family. We are grateful that Lauren has been part of our JMU Athletics community and will always consider her to be a Duke. We will miss her dearly.”
Bernett, a sophomore, was a standout catcher for the Dukes… and had just had possibly her best week on the diamond in her JMU career.
On April 16, she set a JMU record with three hits and seven RBIs in a game against the College of Charleston. On April 23, just a few days later, in a series versus Drexel, she had hits in seven of her nine at-bats.
Her performances earned her the CAA’s Player of the Week title on Monday.
Bernett, who hit.336 with nine home runs this season, was also a major member of the James Madison team that advanced to the Women’s College World Series in 2021.
“We love you, Lauren,” the JMU softball team said in a tweet on Tuesday.
In the aftermath of Bernett’s tragedy, the team has abandoned its Wednesday doubleheader against Longwood.
