Lauren Bernett Cause of Death Tragic: Did JMU Softball Star Die by Suicide?

Lauren Bernett set a record before her tragic passing, the university recalled in a statement.

Bernett, who has been part of the James Madison softball team for years, died this week at the age of 20. Her school confirmed the news on Tuesday.

JMU Softball has since paid a short but heartfelt tribute on Twitter, expressing how much the team loves her. It also shared a black and white photo of the athlete with the text "Lauren Bernett, 2001-2022.

Meanwhile, James Madison president Jonathan Alger penned a statement after learning about the loss of one of their student-athletes.

"Lauren Bernett was a high-achieving member of our softball team and a great ambassador of JMU and our athletics program," he said. "College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day. We are a tight family."

Alger added that the school is always grateful that Bernett became part of the JMU Athletics. Despite her passing, they would reportedly always consider her to be a Duke.

Both statements did not share Lauren Bernett's cause of death. USA Today also tried reaching the Rockingham County, Virginia Sheriff's Department for an update, but the calls were not immediately recalled.

However, Bernett's fans and supporters seemingly hinted at what led to her death through their tribute messages.

Did Lauren Bernett Die by Suicide?

On Twitter, friends and fans of the softball star remembered her legacy as they paid tribute to her. While some users noted that no cause of death was indeed released, some shared that Bernett's death had something to do with her mental health.

Pure Performance's Twitter page said, "Athletes are more than the uniform they wear. Please reach out to any member of our staff if you want to talk about mental health. We can direct you to the proper help. Pure Performance stands with JMU and the softball community as they mourn the loss of Lauren Bernett."

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Bernett famously became the JMU Softball's sophomore catcher. The McDonald, Pennsylvania native played a huge role in pushing James Madison to the 2021 Women's College World Series.

She won games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and only lost during the back-to-back games against the Sooners in the semifinals.

In this season alone, she hit .336 with nine homers and 33 RBI.

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