Cat Osterman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cat Osterman
Osterman in 2006
USSSA Pride – No. 38
Pitcher
Born: (1983-04-16) April 16, 1983 (age 42) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
May 29, 2007, for the Rockford Thunder
Last appearance
August 17, 2015, for the USSSA Pride
NPF statistics
Win–loss record	95–24
Earned run average	0.91
Strikeouts	1,260
Saves	12
Teams
Rockford Thunder (2007–2009) USSSA Pride (2010–2015)
Career highlights and awards
3x USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2003, 2005, 2006) 2× Honda Sports Award (2005, 2006) 4× Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) 4× NPF Champion (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014) 6× All-NPF (2009, 2011–2015) USSSA Pride No. 8 retired
Medals Women's softball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Silver 2008 Beijing Team competition Silver 2020 Tokyo Team competition

Catherine Leigh Osterman (born April 16, 1983) is a famous American softball player. She is now the general manager for the Volts team in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Cat was an amazing pitcher for the United States women's national softball team. She helped her team win a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver medals at the 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

She was named an All-American four times in college. She was also a six-time All-Star as a professional player. Cat played college softball for the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns from 2002 to 2006. She holds many records for her pitching skills. She is known for her high number of strikeouts and low ERA.

In the National Pro Fastpitch league, Cat was the very first player chosen in the draft. She holds the record for the most no-hitters in the league with six. She is also one of only five college pitchers to have over 1,000 strikeouts and 100 wins. In May 2020, she joined the Athletes Unlimited Softball league. She won the first championship as the top player. Many consider her one of the greatest college softball pitchers ever.

Early Life and High School Softball

Cat Osterman started playing softball in first grade. She later tried soccer and basketball. In fifth grade, she returned to softball as a backup pitcher.

She was born in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Gary and Laura Osterman. She has two younger brothers, Craig and Chris. Cat went to Cypress Springs High School in Cypress, Texas, from 1997 to 2001. She set many records there.

In 2001, she struck out 33 batters in one game. This was a 14-inning game where her team won 1–0. This amazing performance set a national record. It was the most strikeouts in a game shorter than 20 innings.

College Career at University of Texas

Freshman Year (2002)

Cat was named a Second Team All-American in her first year. She was also named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She set new records for the University of Texas. These included wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts.

On February 6, she pitched six shutout innings in her first game. She struck out 11 batters. On March 20, she struck out 24 batters in a 10-inning game. This was her career best.

Cat was the first freshman from Texas to be named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week. She threw two no-hitters that week. She also threw the first perfect game in Texas history. She threw two more perfect games that season. This set a record for freshmen.

Sophomore Year (2003)

Cat was again named an All-American, this time to the First Team. She was also named Big 12 Pitcher and Female Athlete of the Year. She won her first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. She threw four no-hitters and one perfect game.

She set new Texas records for ERA and strikeouts. She led the NCAA in strikeouts. From April 22 to May 22, she pitched 65 innings without giving up a run. This was a career high for her. She became the second pitcher in NCAA history to strike out 1,000 batters in just two seasons.

Olympic Games (2004 Athens)

Cat took a year off from college in 2004. She joined the US National Team for the Olympic Games in Athens.

Preparing for the Olympics

Cat did not lose any games during the team's practice tour. She pitched in 24 games. She often combined with other pitchers for no-hitters and perfect games. On July 10, she threw a no-hitter herself. She struck out 13 batters in five innings.

Olympic Performance

At the Olympics, Cat won two games and earned one save. She struck out 11 batters against Japan. She also struck out 10 batters against Chinese Taipei. Her 23 strikeouts were the most for Team USA. The team won the gold medal.

Return to University of Texas

Junior Year (2005)

Cat earned her second First Team All-American award. She also won her second USA Softball Player of the Year award. She received the Honda Sports Award for softball. She was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.

She set new Texas records for ERA, strikeouts, and shutouts. She led the NCAA in ERA and strikeout ratio. She threw six no-hitters and three perfect games. She is the only pitcher to have two seasons with three perfect games. On March 17, she struck out 23 batters in a 10-inning shutout.

She reached 1,200 career strikeouts on March 9. She continued to climb the all-time strikeout list. By June 3, she had over 1,600 strikeouts. In the College World Series, she struck out 17 batters against Alabama. She was named to the All-Tournament team.

Senior Year (2006)

Cat earned her final All-American award and her second Honda Award. She set her last Texas records for wins, strikeouts, and shutouts. She became one of the first pitchers to have three seasons with over 500 strikeouts. She led the NCAA in ERA and strikeout ratio for the fourth time.

She started the season with six straight shutouts. On February 11, she won her 100th career game. On February 21, she struck out 20 batters in a 7-inning game. This was her career best for a regular game.

On February 25, she became the all-time NCAA Division I strikeout leader. She passed Courtney Blades. On April 5, she became the first pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts. By May 26, she had over 2,200 strikeouts.

Cat finished her college career with 136 wins. This placed her sixth all-time in NCAA history. She also had 85 career shutouts, ranking third. Her college career ended in the World Series. She lost to the UCLA Bruins.

Cat holds many records for the University of Texas. She also holds Big 12 Conference records. She is known for her amazing strikeout ratio in the NCAA.

Post-College Career and National Team

After college, Cat continued to play at a high level. On July 2, 2006, she threw a no-hitter in a USA Softball Exhibition game. She struck out 12 batters.

On July 17, 2006, she won the championship game of the 2006 World Cup. She beat Team Japan 5-2. She had two wins in the tournament. She struck out 21 batters in 14 innings.

Cat also worked as a TV commentator for ESPN. She talked about college softball games.

Professional Career

On February 15, 2006, Cat was the first player picked in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft. She was chosen by the Connecticut Brakettes. She later signed with the Rockford Thunder for the 2007 season.

On May 29, 2007, Cat made her professional debut. She struck out 24 batters in a 12-inning game. This tied the league record for strikeouts in a single game. She also threw her first professional no-hitter on August 26, 2007.

In 2009, she had her best ERA and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). She had a shutout streak of 55 innings. She won the Cowles Cup Championship that year. She was named an All-Star and MVP.

After announcing her retirement, Cat had one of her best seasons. She won the pitching Triple Crown. This means she led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. She also threw two more no-hitters. On June 27, she tied another record by striking out 18 batters in a 7-inning game.

She helped her team win the Cowles Cup Championship on August 24, 2013. She earned a save and two wins. She was named MVP. This started a long winning streak for her.

In 2014, Cat was named Pitcher of the Year. She won her second straight pitching Triple Crown. She had a perfect season, winning 16 games without a loss. Her team won the Cowles Cup again. She earned her fifth career no-hitter on July 5.

Cat started the 2015 season with three more wins. This extended her winning streak to 21 games. On July 10, 2015, she pitched her sixth NPF no-hitter.

On June 8, 2017, the USSSA Pride retired her jersey number 8. Cat is still the leader in career strikeout ratio and no-hitters in the NPF. She was the first pitcher to reach 1,000 career strikeouts.

US National Team Return (2020 Olympics)

Cat retired after the 2008 Olympics. In 2018, she announced she would return to play. Softball was added back to the Olympics for the 2020 games. She made the team for the 2019 season.

She helped Team USA win a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Cat did not allow any runs in 14 innings of pitching. She won two games for Team USA. She started the gold medal game against Team Japan. Her team lost 2–0 on July 27, 2021, earning the silver medal.

Athletes Unlimited

In November 2024, Athletes Unlimited hired Cat Osterman. She became the general manager for the Volts team. This is for the first season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

Interesting Facts

Cat's favorite athletes include Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan. She also likes NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon. She was the first softball player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She appeared on it twice.

Cat is a spokesperson for Under Armour. She also has a special glove with Wilson. In 2012, Cat was added to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. In 2014, she became an assistant softball coach at Texas State University.

Career Highlights and Records

Cat Osterman holds many impressive records:

• She has 2,265 career NCAA Division I strikeouts. This is the second-highest ever.
• She has the highest NCAA strikeout ratio, with 14.34 strikeouts per 7 innings.
• She won the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award three times. No one else has done that.
• She has 136 career NCAA Division I wins, ranking sixth all-time.
• Her career ERA in NCAA Division I was 0.50, which is very low.
• She has 85 career NCAA Division I shutouts, ranking third all-time.
• She won the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week award 25 times. This is the most ever.
• She has 20 career NCAA Division I no-hitters, ranking third all-time.
• She has 7 career NCAA Division I perfect games, ranking second all-time.
• She was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year four times. This is tied for the most ever.

See also

In Spanish: Cat Osterman para niños