A New Jersey baseball coach at Cliffside Park, Bergen County, has died at the age of 30, according to reports.
Ben Luderer died of complications caused by the CCP virus on Sunday, leaving the community devastated.
“He is irreplaceable,” Cliffside Park athletic director David Porfido told NJ.com on Monday. “I cried all morning. This should be a wake-up call for everyone.”
Porfido briefed Luderer’s team through a video call on Monday morning. “We all live by rulebooks and manuals, but there was nothing for this,” Porfido told NJ.com. “When I told the kids there was nothing but silence.”
Luderer started in 2008 as a catcher for Don Bosco of Ramsey, New Jersey, a team that finished 33-0 and that was dubbed as “probably the best team in New Jersey history.” Luderer was a linchpin in that team and one of seven Don Bosco members to join Marist College in Poughkeepsie, a Division I team.
“He was a stabilizing force behind the plate,” Greg Butler, Luderer’s high school coach at Don Bosco, said, according to USA Today. “That’s what I needed, and he was a phenomenal offensive player. He was one of the more clutch players we had the whole season. His bat stands out in my mind. He would come up with runners on base and always seemed to deliver.”
Governor Phil Murphy offered his condolences to Luderer’s friends and loved ones on Twitter:
“Saddened by the death of Ben Luderer, a young baseball coach whose love of the game pushed his players to new heights,” Murphy said. “Coronavirus has taken another New Jerseyan from us far too soon. Our hearts are with his loved ones and players, both past & present.”
Saddened by the death of Ben Luderer, a young baseball coach whose love of the game pushed his players to new heights. Coronavirus has taken another New Jerseyan from us far too soon. Our hearts are with his loved ones and players, both past & present.https://t.co/oViDNlI1bx
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 31, 2020
Reportedly, Luderer had been experiencing some symptoms of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus—commonly known as the novel coronavirus—since Friday and went to the hospital, but because his symptoms were only mild, he was sent home again, where he died that same night on Sunday, Porfido informed NJ.com.
