Cat Osterman Profile
Born:April 16, 1983 (Houston, Texas)
Hometown:Houston, Texas
Residence:Chicago, Ill.
College:University of Texas
High School:Cypress Springs (Texas)
Height:6'2"
Position:Pitcher
Throws/Bats:Left/Left
Oldest of Gary and Laura's children, Catherine Leigh Osterman was born on April 16, 1983 in Houston, Texas, and has two younger brothers, Craig and Chris. She played soccer and basketball until the day she filled in for her Little League softball team as a back-up pitcher. She was hooked and asked for pitching lessons for her eleventh birthday. From that point on, her passion for softball blossomed and she became a high school and club softball phenomenon. To avoid confusion with another Catherine, her coaches began calling her "Cat".
A left-hander, Cat stands 6-2, with hands so large she can grip a softball entirely with her fingers rather than having to cradle it in her palm. That allows her to put above-average spin on the ball and surprise batters as arguably no one has. She has command of six pitches but claims she rarely throws her fastball.
In summer of 2001, after graduating from Cypress Springs (Texas) High School as the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, Osterman was invited to join USA Softball's national team. Over the years, Cat has accumulated impressive stats and won other numerous awards. She ranks first in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings at 15.4, and is the first softball player to twice appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She owns four of the top five seasons for the NCAA's best strikeout ratio (strikeouts per seven innings pitched), and was the first of only three NCAA pitchers to register 2,000-plus strikeouts. Cat won a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and is now looking forward to competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
