Cat Osterman
University of Texas, Class of 2007
Softball
Her arm carried a nation to Olympics glory, but her legacy was forged before her time on the international stage while competing at the University of Texas. She becomes the first Academic All-America Hall of Fame inductee in UT athletics history.
During a decorated career on the Forty Acres, Osterman was a three-time USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year (2003, 2005 and 2006) and four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American. A two-time ESPY Award winner for Best Female College Athlete, the talented lefthander compiled an amazing career record of 136-25 with a 0.51 ERA and 2,265 strikeouts while helping the Longhorns to three Women's College World Series appearances in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
At the end of her storied collegiate career, Osterman was the NCAA career record holder for strikeouts-per-seven-innings (14.34), No. 2 all-time in career strikeouts (2,265) and No. 2 all-time in career shutouts (85). A three-time selection as Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year (2003, 2005 and 2006), she still holds UT career records in victories (136), ERA (0.51), shutouts (85) and no-hitters (20).
Her No. 8 jersey was officially retired by Texas in 2022 as she became only the third Texas female student-athlete to have her jersey retired.
During a redshirt season of 2004, Osterman trained with the USA National Team as the only collegian and youngest member of the Olympic team that earned a gold medal in Athens. She went on to compete at two more Olympic Games for Team USA, helping the USA program to silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She highlighted an impressive comeback from retirement by earning a roster spot on the 2020 Olympic Team.
Also at the international stage, Osterman helped Team USA earn gold at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games and silver at the 2006 and 2010 World Championships. In her illustrious 20-year career with Team USA, Osterman held a 74-5 record with 0.44 ERA, striking out 1030 batters in just 519.0 innings of work.
Osterman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2007 and later earned a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology with a concentration in positive coaching from the University of Missouri (2015). She was selected to the CSC Academic All-America Team in 2003 and was a three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team.
Osterman was a recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award in 2006, an honor presented to the top eight senior student-athletes in the country. She also was recognized as the Honda Awards Softball Player of the Year (2005-2006). Osterman was also the first softball student-athlete to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In June 2020, Osterman was selected through fan voting as one of ESPN's 11-member "Greatest All-Time Softball Team."
She was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 Pro Fastpitch X-treme Draft and the No. 1 pick in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft. In her eight-year professional career, she led her team to four Cowles Cup championships and was a six-time All-NPF honoree. Her No. 8 jersey was retired by the USSSA Pride after she became the first pitcher in league history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts.
Following her playing career, Osterman spent time as an assistant coach on multiple softball staffs, overseeing the development of pitching prospects at DePaul, St. Edwards, and Texas State. Now, Osterman has prioritized promoting and growing the game of softball, working as a television analyst for ESPN’s softball broadcasts and taking on the role of general manager for the Volts in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
Among her community efforts, Osterman has served at RBI Austin since 2013. The non-profit organization provides year-round sports training, academic support, mentorship, and leadership development for middle and high school youth in the Austin, Texas area.