Softball: Mater Dei’s Nadia Brianne Matthews dies

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Mater Dei softball pitching sensation Nadia Brianne Matthews, 16, died Thursday, and the Orange County coroner’s office is conducting an investigation.

Matthews, an Anaheim resident, died at 8:22 p.m. at UCI Medical Center in Orange. The coroner’s office will do an autopsy to determine the cause of death, and the results should be released early Friday afternoon, according to supervising deputy coroner Daniel Aikin.

[Updated at 11:58 a.m.: Anaheim fire and police went to an apartment on the 2100 block of east Almont Ave. just before 8 p.m. on Thursday in response to a call about a girl not breathing, according to a statement by Sgt. Rick Martinez.

CPR was administered to Matthews, who was then transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, Martinez added. Anaheim police are conducting a death investigation but do not not suspect foul play.]

[Updated at 2:33 p.m.: The coroner ruled the manner of death suicide, ‘by ligature hanging.’]

Pamela Coe, the director of media relations at Mater Dei, said she had no additional information.

‘Everybody’s shocked,’ said Mater Dei softball Coach Doug Myers.

Matthews, a sophomore, was considered one of the top softball prospects in the 2012 class and had verbally committed to the University of Arizona.

-- Melissa Rohlin