The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Softball to retire Cat Osterman's number on Saturday
04.13.2022 | Softball
The standout pitcher will be the first to have her number retired in Texas Softball program history.
AUSTIN, Texas – Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman will have her No. 8 officially retired on April 16 as part of a pregame ceremony prior to Texas' Big 12 series finale against Oklahoma at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
In the process, Osterman will become the first UT softball player and third Texas female student-athlete to have her number retired. That number includes recent Longhorns women's basketball recipients Clarissa Davis (March 2020) and Kamie Ethridge (Sept. 2019).
"A three-time National Player of the Year, Cat Osterman was as dominant of a college athlete as you will ever see," Texas Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte said. "When she took to the circle, she was just unstoppable and amazing to watch. It's a special, special honor to have your jersey number retired, and no one is more worthy of that than Cat. She continues to make us so proud long after her time on the Forty Acres. A three-time Olympic medalist who played professionally for years and became a veteran coach, it's so cool that she came out of retirement this past year to help our Team USA win another medal in Tokyo. We're so proud of her, she's a blessing to Texas Athletics and can't wait to celebrate her."
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).
"To have Cat Osterman become the first softball player to have her jersey retired at the University of Texas is befitting, as her name and Texas Softball are truly synonymous," Texas head coach Mike White said. "Cat helped to elevate our softball program to national prominence during her career on the Forty Acres. It is so exciting to have her number "8" immortalized into Texas Softball history and to honor her contribution to the growth of collegiate softball not only in the U.S., but also throughout the world."
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 recently highlighted an impressive comeback from retirement by earning a roster spot on the USA Softball Women's National Team that also took silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Saturday's game is currently sold out. Should additional tickets become available, they will be available for purchase on gameday at the Red & Charline McCombs Field Box Office. Follow @TexasSoftball for the latest updates.
