The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball’s Cat Osterman inducted into National Softball Hall of Fame
11.14.2022 | Softball
The legendary pitcher was one of 11 welcomed into the Hall of Fame during a Saturday night ceremony
AUSTIN, Texas – This past Saturday night during the organization's 41st-annual induction ceremony in Shreveport, La., Texas softball legend Cat Osterman was officially inducted as one of 11 new members of the National Softball Hall of Fame.
The ceremony honored the accomplishments, history-making moments and milestones of the inductees who helped shape the sport of softball.
Members of the Class of 2022 included: Rusty Bumgardner (Slow Pitch Player), Mike De Leo (Meritorious Service), Debbie Doom (Fast Pitch Player), Christan Dowling (Slow Pitch Player), Jeff Hansen (Umpire), Brett Helmer (Slow Pitch Player), George Nokes (Fast Pitch Player), Cat Osterman (Fast Pitch Player), Jeff Peck (Fast Pitch Player), Al Savala (Sponsor) and Steve Shortland (Manager/Coach).
The prestigious accolade added to what has been another momentous year for the softball standout as Osterman also became the first softball player and just the third overall Texas female student-athlete to have her jersey retired during ceremonies at Red & Charline McCombs Field back on April 16.
During a decorated career on the Forty Acres, Osterman, a three-time USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year, four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American and two-time ESPY Award winner for Best Female College Athlete put up a staggering 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.
Osterman still holds the NCAA record for highest career strikeout-per-seven-inning ratio at 14.34, remains the only player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in ERA on three occasions and managed 20 no-hitters and seven perfect games while at Texas.
Drafted No. 1 overall in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft, Osterman went on to tremendous pro success over an eight-year career with the Rockford Thunder and USSSA Pride. She led the Thunder to the league title in 2009 and captured three more Cowles Cup championships with the Pride in 2010, 2013 and 2014. Osterman was named All-NPF on six occasions and the NPF's Pitcher of the Year three times (2011, 2013, 2014). During the summer/fall of 2020, she also won the first Athletes Unlimited individual pro title by going 13-1 overall with 95 strikeouts while registering 2,408 total points.
On an international level, Osterman won gold as the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Softball Team in Athens in 2004 and then took silver four years later in Beijing. She also highlighted an impressive comeback from retirement by earning a roster spot on the USA Softball Women's National Team that secured silver during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
