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.”
