Jun 6, 2021; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma s Rylie Boone (0) slides in at home past James Madison catcher Lauren Bernett (22) to score a run in the sixth inning during a Women s College World Series semi finals game at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Oklahoma won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The James Madison softball team made a run to the 2021 Women’s College World Series last year and catcher Lauren Bernett was a key part of the team’s success. The school announced Tuesday that Bernett had died. No cause of death was provided.

“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,” JMU president Jonathan Alger and athletic director Jeff Bourne said in a combined statement. “She was a key member of our 2021 Women’s College World Series team as a freshman catcher last year.

“College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day. 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.”

Last year, the Dukes made it all the way to the WCWS semifinal thanks in part to Bernett’s play at catcher as a freshman.

The news comes just a day after Bernett had been named CAA Player of the Week following a series in which she hit .778 and garnered seven RBIs.

Bernett was celebrated on social media by some of her teammates and fellow students.

[James Madison]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.