James Madison softball player Lauren Bernett has died, the school announced Tuesday. She was 20 years old. No cause of death has been released.
Bernett, a sophomore, had been the program’s starting catcher in each of the past two seasons. She helped guide the Dukes to the College World Series in 2021.
“Our hearts are aching, hearing the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes,” James Madison president Jonathan Alger wrote in a statement. “Lauren Bernett was a high-achieving member of our softball team and a great ambassador of JMU and our athletics program.