When Catherine Osterman, or Cathy-O as she is known, pitches, batters are left wondering what happened. The 18 year-old throwing machine is now being called the next great pitcher in American softball.
Catherine Osterman graduated from Cypress Springs High School in Houston where she was named the 2001 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year. Her numbers during her senior year would make even Pedro Martinez envious. During the 2001 season, Osterman went 19 - 3 with 435 strikeouts and an unbelieveable .000 ERA (Earned Run Average.) She also pitched 12 no-hitters and led her team with a .343 batting average. All those numbers may seem a bit confusing. But simply put - you have to be very good or very lucky to get a hit against Catherine.
Catherine OSterman also put up big numbers in the classroom while she was in high school. She finished with a 6.071 GPA (on a 6.0 scale) and was a member of the National Honor Society. Her combination of athletics and acadademics earned her a scholarship to the Univerity of Texas where she'll begin pitching for the Longhorns in September. Catherine will be doing more than just striking out college batters. She plans to major in either Sports Psychology or Broadcast Journalism.
Before she heads off to college, Osterman is spending the summer training with the American women's softball team. Her performance in camps and a couple of international tournaments has sent batters swinging and coaches turning their heads in disbelief. At the USA Cup in June, Catherine struck out 13 in a 1 - 0 win over Japan. The game had people comparing her to great American pitchers like Lisa Fernandez and Michelle Granger. That's a pretty scary thought for hitters since Catherine isn't expected to reach her peak for another seven or eight years. So, be sure to hang on to this chick's baseball card - its value will only be going higher.
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