Cat Osterman Is Returning For Shot at Olympics
Cat Osterman is making a comeback. Osterman announced on Tuesday that she will attempt to make the Team USA roster.
Osterman is coming out of a three-year retirement to try out for the U.S. softball team, two years before the sport is played at the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
“My heart is racing with excitement as I post this,” Osterman said on social media. “Last fall I made the decision to put the cleats back on and give it a go one more time. Plain and simple, there’s unfinished business. I’m honored and excited to be trying out for the @usasoftball USA National Team in January… excited is an understatement when I think of the journey ahead.”
I’m baackkkk
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My heart is racing with excitement as I post this. Last fall I made the decision to put the cleats back on and give it a go one more time. Plain and simple, there’s… https://t.co/5HH13dfpEN— Cat Osterman (@catosterman) October 2, 2018
Osterman, 35, last played professionally in 2015 and last played for Team USA in 2010. She has been an associate head coach for Texas State since 2015.
In 2008, Osterman started the gold medal game against Japan, going five innings as the U.S. lost 3-1 to Japan in, at the time, the last Olympic softball game. The sport had already been voted off the Olympic program.
In 2004, Osterman made her first Olympic team at age 21 while taking a year off from the University of Texas. She was the youngest player on the team that took gold in Athens.
Osterman joins fellow pitcher Monica Abbott and outfielder Kelly Kretschman as the three Olympians among 41 total athletes trying out for the national team.
In 2020, USA Softball will choose a 15-woman Olympic team. Osterman or Abbott, the U.S.’ two primary pitchers at Beijing 2008, would break Lisa Fernandez‘s record as the oldest U.S. Olympic pitcher.
Below is a list of 41 players trying out for the national team.
First | Last | Pos | College |
Monica | Abbott | P | Tennessee ’07 |
Ali | Aguilar | IF | Washington ’17 |
Jocelyn | Alo | UT | Oklahoma |
Valerie | Arioto | IF | Cal ’12 |
Kelly | Barnhill | P | Florida |
Sis | Bates | IF | Washington |
Kylan | Becker | OF | Ole Miss |
Ally | Carda | UT | UCLA ’15 |
Lauren | Chamberlain | IF | Oklahoma ’15 |
Amanda | Chidester | C | Michigan ’12 |
Kasey | Cooper | IF | Auburn ’17 |
Taylor | Edwards | C | Nebraska ’14 |
Hannah | Flippen | IF | Utah ’17 |
Courtney | Gano | UT | Washington ’16 |
Rachel | Garcia | P | UCLA |
Chelsea | Goodacre | C | Arizona ’15 |
Delanie | Gourley | P | Florida ’17 |
Carley | Hoover | P | LSU ’18 |
Jazmyn | Jackson | OF | Cal ’18 |
Sahvanna | Jaquish | C | LSU ’17 |
Kelly | Kretschman | OF | Alabama ’01 |
Jenna | Lilley | IF | Oregon ’18 |
Amanda | Lorenz | OF | Florida |
Paige | Lowary | P | Oklahoma ’18 |
Haylie | McCleney | OF | Alabama ’16 |
Mo | Mercado | IF | Arizona ’17 |
Kirsti | Merritt | OF | Florida ’16 |
Jessica | Moore | P | Oregon ’13 |
Michelle | Moultrie | OF | Florida ’12 |
Dejah | Mulipola | C | Arizona |
Aubree | Munro | C | Florida ’16 |
Bubba | Nickles | UT | UCLA |
Cat | Osterman | P | Texas ’06 |
Danielle | O’Toole | P | Arizona ’17 |
Shelby | Pendley | IF | Oklahoma ’15 |
Janie | Reed | OF | Oregon ’15 |
Keilani | Ricketts | P | Oklahoma ’13 |
Delaney | Spaulding | IF | UCLA ’17 |
Kelsey | Stewart | UT | Florida ’16 |
Nicolette | Udria | IF | Oregon ’17 |
Megan | Wiggins | OF | Georgia ’11 |