The softball facility being relatively new and pretty much totally redone a few years ago is in great shape, Bourne said. There was an error processing your request. He also helps cover other colleges, including Radford, VMI, Roanoke, Washington and Lee and Ferrum. "We are so excited to be adding them to the JMU Softball family," said LaPorte. Loren LaPorte, formerly Loren Messick, completed her 10thyear with the softball team at James Madison University and sixthyear as head coach in 2023. "I think we're in a pretty good place," coach John Szefc said. Text HOME to 741741. Additionally, JMU is evaluating potential improvements to Veterans Memorial Park, including enhanced lighting and additional seating, which could make it easier for the Dukes to host Regional and Super Regional games in the future. HARRISONBURG, Va. The final games of the 2022 James Madison softball season have been canceled, following the recent passing of sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett on Monday, April 25. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Fifth-year senior ace Odicci Alexander, who earned third-team All-America honors in 2018 and 2019, has gone 4-1 with one save in this year's NCAA tournament. At the end of the day, you want to look back and have no regrets.. Eat breakfast. Two of those wins came against Top-25 opponents Texas Tech and Missouri. Her huge heart showed grace and kindness to everyone she ever met. And the JMU faithful will never forget the magical ride of 2021. Bernett is seen during a NCAA softball game in May last year. She served an assistant coach for five years and was And we love the community feel.. Last weekend, Gasso asked the players to write letters to their parents and guardians, expressing what those adults mean to them. It was during the bus ride home that the CAA officially ended the season. "We get a lot of blue-collar kids that want to work. "Our team doesn't get to do that a whole lot," LaPorte said. The JMU head softball coach said the decision to end the season was a difficult one that wasn't made lightly. By submitting my information, I agree to the, JMU Coach Loren LaPorte Interview At 2021 PGF, Replay: James Madison vs Elon | Feb 19 @ 5 PM, NFCA Announces All-Region Honors; 17 CAA Players Garner Accolades, JMU's Hannah Shifflett Named CAA Softball Player Of The Year, Remainder Of JMU Softball Season Canceled, CAA Announces Cancellation Of JMU/Delaware Softball Series, Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She was serving as a panelist on mental health in athletics. JMU has won six CAA championships, including back-to-back Championships in 2016 and 2017. WebSara Jubas gave JMU the lead with a three-run home run in the top of the 3rd inning, and the Sooners answered with a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The biggest lesson LaPorte learned from her years with Dean was the importance of developing a deep understanding of the game. Bernett is the third Division-I female athlete to commit suicide in less than two months. Boseman and Bermudez joined the Dukes in 2020. When Dean took the head coaching job at JMU for the 2013 season, he convinced LaPorte to join him. 1 play on ESPNs SportsCenter Top 10. Are they getting help?, Theres just a lot of questions that I have.. Virginias Joanna Hardin, who is 81-144 after five years with the Cavaliers, is paid a base salary of $96,542. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. The remaining game cancellations included a contest against Virginia Tuesday and a three-game league series against Elon May 6 and 7. A fundraising campaign run during the Womens College World Series added $50,000 to the softball programs discretionary fund. Fly high Lauren, your JMU Softball family will forever love you.. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Make Yahoo Your Homepage. If you are trying to host tournaments, then you have to look at the potential to add not just to your permanent facility, but then you have to think about what additional rental bleachers and things would need to look like.. Anybody up at-bat can get the job done. We hope so, but sadly, evidence suggests she probably wont be. The James Madison softball team has canceled the rest of its season after sophomore catcher Lauren Bernetts death. The support that our administration and our president gives us, I mean, we couldnt ask for anything more. Gary Walin. Savannah Reger | The Breeze Whiff. A giant inflatable Duke Dog and a swarm of fans awaited the JMU softball team Tuesday as the players returned from their stint in the Womens College World Series (WCWS). Institutions like ours are all going to do what they can to keep their coaches. LaPorte is a Roanoke College graduate. It has served them well during a year that has forced everyone to live for the moment and not look too far ahead. There was a problem saving your notification. Go to practice. JMU Softball coaching staff release statement on Lauren Bernett. It was fun to watch them have fun, not related to softball. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The Dukes became the first team in the CAA to participate in the WCWS. You can cancel at any time. Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Clemson and West Virginia were also in the mix when it came to the youngster. So they just turned another gear and we were able to get it done.". LaPorte and her husband, former Roanoke College basketball player Josh LaPorte, have a 5-year-old son and an 8-month-old daughter. Our pitchers are going to be fresh, so were not going to need to use as many.. Their historic run came to a close just short of the finals, falling to eventual champions #1 Oklahoma twice. On Sunday, April 24, she finished a monster weekend, going 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles in the series finale against Drexel. "Everybody that plays this sport, when they start rec ball, that's what you dream of when you play softball, getting to Oklahoma City. We dont have much time throughout the day but we can celebrate the joyful things and the small things.. The Dukes are 39-2. Then came Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze on April 13. Published: Apr. We absolutely love yall.. Last season, she was part of the Dukes magical run to the Womens College World Series, catching for breakout star Odicci Alexander, but this season, Bernett was having her own breakout. Thats what we try to do here.. Be Proactive. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Now that James Madisons historic run to the Womens College World Series is over, fans of JMU and softball at large cant help but speculate whats next for Dukes coach Loren LaPorte. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Connecting with his players is one of the things he loves most about coaching, so he is always picking at them, as he calls it. Among the sports figures and entities tweeting about the team: the Washington Football Team, Ron Rivera, the Seattle Mariners, the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball and Elliott Sadler. The pitcher said she went through a low point last season but grew from the support of her teammate. All Rights Reserved. "When she got back, she was just eyes on the prize. And I think everybody kind of jumped on board with her.". Discovery Company. James Madison University said it will cancel the remainder of its softball season as the death of student athlete Lauren Bernett was ruled a suicide. Elkton native Mickey Dean, who preceded LaPorte at JMU, left the Dukes after the 2017 season for a $250,000 salary at Auburn. 2 UCLA, 9:30 p.m. Mark Berman covers Virginia Tech mens basketball and many other teams at the university. Bernett was 20 years old. Smack. However, the Jed Foundation, a national nonprofit working to prevent suicides and improve emotional health of young people, indicates the challenges of mental health have grown steadily among college students during the past five years. Read "True Grit" here. LaPorte was named the interim head coach for the 2018 season, then was rewarded with the permanent role. AD Bourne Committed To Keeping LaPorte At JMU, If Walls Could Talk: Renovations To Historic Harrisonburg Inn Nears Completion Ahead Of JMU Graduation, Lynn, Gobblers Hand Trailblazers First District Loss, Library of Virginia Creates A Digital Map Of Virginias Deaf Communities, JMU Adds Colorado Transfer, Loses Amadi To Portal, Newly Appointed VPAS Regional Director Wins Public Service Award, Centeio Earns Chiefs Rookie Minicamp Invite, Ravenel, Thornton Receive Ravens Rookie Minicamp Invites, New Rite Aid Relieves 'Pharmacy Desert' For Town Of Grottoes, Deavers' Big Night Lifts Broadway Over East Rock, Community Input Window Counts Down For Long Range Transportation Plan. While that decision was due to the ongoing concerns of the pandemic, it also affords LaPorte the luxury of staying close to her family and watching her infant daughter grow. Whiff. "We walk in the hotel, there's Women's College World Series banners everywhere. Ive been able to spend that newborn time with her that I missed a little bit with my son.. Following Bernetts death, five games were canceled, including a doubleheader at Longwood University and a weekend series with Delaware, according to the statement. The Dukes have been to the NCAA Division I softball tournament nine times, hosting Regionals and Super Regionals in 2016. LaPortes current JMU contract runs through the 2023 season. Classifieds from the paper, direct every weekday to your inbox. JMU softball receives warm welcome home from fans following historic WCWS run | Sports | breezejmu.org Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. Odicci Alexanders diving play at the plate was the No. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline any time day or night at (800) 273-TALK (8255). Despite being a varsity program for fewer than 20 years, JMU Softball left no doubt that its one of the best in the nation. Were super blessed to be able to be part of this, star slugger Kate Gordon said. She served an assistant coach for five years and was elevated to head coach in September of 2017. 9 overall Tennessee and 43-win Liberty to come out of the Knoxville regional unscathed. But (Mickey) taught me the strategy, what happens in this situation, a pitchers patterns, little stuff you dont think of as a player. They also became the first-ever unseeded team to start 2-0 at the event and the first such squad to reach the WCWS semifinals. OU second baseman Tiare Jennings goes for long drives with her windows down and her music up. JMU has won six CAA championships, including back-to-back Championships in 2016 and 2017. It is extremely heartbreaking and alarming to see whats going on throughout the country, she said. Trevor Richardson met with the Cowgirls earlier this week after they returned from a road trip at Florida State. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. accounts, the history behind an article. 1:26. Go to a night class or work on homework. Beyond coaches salaries, there are plans in the works at JMU to further boost the softball program. Lots of times, that has nothing to do with softball. Its just screaming for help.. Did you encounter any technical issues? It was definitely a lot to go through, Jubas said. What could I do for that coach? "I love JMU. Lauren had one of the most genuine, old and trusting souls. But sometimes players get to the point where even that doesnt move the needle. All rights reserved. We again want to thank everyone for their caring thoughts and support during this time and we continue to ask for privacy as a program as we grieve and support one another. I think they get frustrated early, he said. We're just going to tell them, Yes, this is a dream to get here, but good Lord, let's do some damage, LaPorte said. … It just filled my heart, and I know that I have to do more things to make this more humanized than robotic.. As a freshman, she started every game of the 2018 season, hitting .3.02 with seven homers and 25 RBI. She allowed two runs in four-plus innings. Shortstop Sara Jubas became the first JMU softball student-athlete named a CoSIDA Academic All-American. LaPorte and JMU have renegotiated and extended her contract twice since she took over for Dean in 2017 on a one-year deal. I want to know, when things dont look right, what does that look like?. However, we want others to know the impact Lauren had on each of our lives, and each member of not only our softball family, but the entire JMU community. She died April 25 and the Western District Medical Examiners Office in Virginia told CNN Tuesday she died by suicide. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Like Gasso, Gajewski asked one of the athletic departments psychologists to speak to his team recently. "Pretty remarkable," LaPorte, 35, said. Since last March, LaPorte has experienced a shutdown 19 games into the season, having a baby, a reduced schedule this season, and two games already canceled due to COVID-19. When I pick at you about your love life or your family or school or whatever it is, thats not me trying to be in your business more than you want me. Other resources include: The Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day. She hit .778 and drove in seven runs during the three-game set. She led the Sooners in an activity where they split into small groups and shared how they were feeling. Theyre playing games, and theyre laughing, and theyre laughing so loud securitys coming up to the room, Gasso said. She wasnt talking strategy with assistants or watching film of opponents. Connecting with his players is one of the things he loves most about coaching, so he is always picking at them, as he calls it. Ive been shaken, thinking, What if I was the coach on the other side? Generally cloudy. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Spontaneous J-M-U chants broke out as the bus approached and players got off. Really sad, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said earlier this week as tears welled in his eyes. They made history, Daniels said. Bernett is the third Division-I female athlete to commit suicide in less than two months. Lots of times, that has nothing to do with softball. Please allow us to introduce everyone to our newest little Duke!!! By WHSV Newsroom. Frankly, their mental health challenges can be exacerbated because they are athletes. At a time college softball has more parity than ever, it also has a favorite as clear as crystal, suicide of James Madison catcher Lauren Bernett, Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze on April 13, Racing for foul balls? They left everything on the field; Odicci, Im in awe, said Alger, calling the team a class act. This week has also reminded us of the incredible generosity inside the softball community. I want to know, when things dont look right, what does that look like?. Seeing your roommate has washed the dishes. That battle mentality speaks to the theme of this years team, never back down. JMU and Georgia are the only unseeded teams in this year's Women's College World Series field. LOUISVILLE, Ky. - James Madison associate head coach Jennifer Herzig was named the Easton/ National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Assistant Coach of the Year, the association announced Tuesday afternoon.