R.I.P.

James Madison University Softball Star Lauren Bernett Dead at 20

The James Madison University sophomore was named her conference’s Player of the Week the day before her death was announced.

Lauren Bernett, a catcher on the James Madison University softball team, has died, her school said Tuesday. She was 20. No cause of death for the sophomore was provided in a statement released by the college’s athletic department. “Our hearts are aching, hearing the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes. Lauren Bernett was a high-achieving member of our softball team and a great ambassador of JMU and our athletics program,” it read, noting that Bernett had been a “key member” of the James Madison Dukes’ run at the 2021 College World Series as a freshman catcher. “We will miss her dearly,” the statement concluded. The Colonial Athletic Association, James Madison University’s conference, had named Bernett Player of the Week on Monday after a stunning weekend performance against Drexel. During the three-game set, Bernett hit .778 with 7 runs batted in, including a home run, according to ESPN. Odicci Alexander, a pitcher for the Dukes, posted a tribute to Twitter on Tuesday, adding in a separate tweet, “You never really know what someone is going through.”