OSTERMAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
USA Softball May 6, 2003
For Immediate Release: 5/6/03
Osterman honored as USA Softball Player of the Week for April 28-May 4
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – After leading Texas to the first ever back-to-back Big 12 conference regular season and tournament titles, the Amateur Softball Association announced today the selection of sophomore Cat Osterman as the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week for the week of April 28-May 4. This marks the second Player of the Week award for the 6’1” Longhorn pitcher from Houston, TX. She was also selected for her efforts during the week of April 7-13.
Osterman, the Big 12 tournament Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year, was instrumental in the Longhorns journey to the tournament title. Pitching 26 of the 28 innings for Texas, she allowed no runs, fanned 44 batters, and gave up only seven hits during the Big 12 champions 4-0 tournament performance.
The Longhorns began the tournament against Texas Tech, beating the Red Raiders 7-1 as Osterman struck out eight in five innings while allowing two hits and a walk. She went the distance in the 1-0 win over Oklahoma in the quarterfinals and threw a one-hitter while retiring 15 batters. Osterman struck out 11, allowed two hits and walked two in the semi-finals to lead her team past Nebraska. In the championship game against the Sooners, Texas brought home the hardware in a 1-0 decision with Osterman’s 10 strikeouts and 2-hit performance in the circle.
"Cat had a tremendous tournament this past weekend,” said Texas head coach Connie Clark. “I thought she was extremely sharp and had a great mental approach to her game. She was patient and stayed in the now. It was a good week for her to finish up the regular season and head into regionals."
Earlier in the week Osterman was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and also received Big 12 All-Academic honors.
In Big 12 conference and tournament action this season, Osterman recorded a 0.07 ERA and a 14-1 record for 2003. She struck out 184 of the 323 batters she faced in 97.2 innings. Eight of her 14 starts were shutouts while allowing three runs scored with only one earned.
On the season, she has a 0.33 ERA and is 26-4 overall in 32 appearances. She has thrown 15 shutouts, including one perfect game, allowed 57 hits and struck out 393 batters in 193 innings. She enters the postseason with 947 career strikeouts, making her 19th all-time in Division I softball.
The USA Softball National Player of the Week is designed to acknowledge outstanding athletic achievement by individuals on a weekly basis. Each recipient of the USA Softball National Player of the Week Award will receive an engraved plaque and will be national recognized for their accomplishments. A complete list of winners can be found on the USA Softball web site at www.usasoftball.com.