The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Osterman wins second USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honor
06.01.2005 | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Texas junior left-handed pitcher Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) was selected as the 2005 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the organization announced on Wednesday evening during the opening ceremonies for the Women's College World Series at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Osterman, who was one of three finalists with Arizona sophomore outfielder Caitlin Lowe and Michigan junior right-handed pitcher Jennie Ritter, became the first-ever two-time winner of the award. She also won the 2003 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honor. UCLA's Stacey Nuveman was the inaugural award winner in 2002, followed by Osterman the following year. Florida State's Jessica van der Linden was the 2004 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
"I'm honored to win this award," Osterman said when the announcement was made. "I honestly didn't think I would win with the numbers Caitlin (Lowe) put up offensively and the success Michigan had with Jennie leading them in the circle.
"I thought I had a really consistent season and I pitched the best I have in my college career. I also have an amazing team behind me that plays incredible defense, which has been a big key to our success this year. This is just such a surprise and it's an honor to be recognized with Caitlin and Jennie."
A 2004 Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. softball team, Osterman returned to Texas after taking a year off to tour with the Red, White and Blue. This season upon her return, she has posted the best season of her career, amassing an 0.32 earned run average, 539 strikeouts (15.5 strikeout per seven innings), 20 shutouts, six no-hitters including three perfect games, an .074 opponents' batting average and has allowed just 11 earned runs (20 total) in 243.2 innings of work for the fifth-ranked Longhorns.
Her 0.32 ERA and 15.5 strikeouts per seven innings lead the nation, and her career strikeout ratio of 14.0 would be an all-time collegiate record. She has already earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, first-team All-Big 12 and NFCA All-Midwest Region honors and was named the most valuable player of the Big 12 Tournament, which the Longhorns won for the third time in four years three weeks ago.
This season, Osterman has posted a 28-6 record, having won her last eight decisions as the Horns begin play at the WCWS. A two-time All-American, she holds nine Texas career pitching records and is ranked third on the NCAA career strikeout list with 1,581 in her three-year career.
"We're so proud of Cat," Texas head coach Connie Clark said after the announcement. "She's been a model of consistency and has definitely had a season that is deserving of this honor. To come back after a world-wind tour with the Olympic team and have this kind of success just shows she is not only one of the top pitchers at the college level, but also in the world."
Osterman is also one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award for softball - with Lowe, Texas A&M's Amanda Scarborough and Washington's Kristen Rivera - which will be announced in early June.
Osterman and the fourth-seeded Longhorns (47-11) begin play at the Women's College World Series on Thursday, June 2, when they face 12th-seeded Alabama (62-13) at 8:30 p.m. at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in a game that will be televised on ESPN2.
