Cat Osterman Inspires 2029 Maci Barnes In The Circle

Any softball player growing up in Texas knows about legendary pitcher Cat Osterman. Maci Barnes is no different. Osterman was the inspiration for Barnes wanting to be a pitcher after the 2029 recruit watched Osterman playing on television.  

Fast forward a few years and Osterman is now one of Barnes' assistant coaches on the Texas Bombers Gold 18U team.

Has Barnes told Osterman about her influence to step into the circle? 

“I think my parents have,” Barnes said with a laugh.

Barnes is the first member of her family to play softball. She participated in flag football for a year when she was younger before discovering softball. 

“I just really clicked with that sport,” she said. “It came natural to me.”

Barnes, who resides in Waxahachie, Texas, has developed into one of the best pitchers in the nation in her class. The righthander played for the USA Softball U15 national team last year, traveling to Mexico for the WBSC U15 Pan-American Women's Championship and to Italy for the WBSC U15 Women's Softball World Cup last year.

Barnes helped the team win gold at the Pan-Am Championship and threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Mexico in the bronze medal game of the World Cup.

“That was amazing. I completely loved every second of it,” Barnes said. “I love meeting new people and traveling. The coaching staff was awesome. The players were awesome. I just loved everything about it.”

Barnes was homeschooled throughout middle school, but has returned to public school this academic year as a freshman at Waxahachie High, where she will play for the softball team.

“I am super excited,” Barnes said. “I am hoping to help my team go to state this year.”

Barnes recently held her quinceañera in November to celebrate her 15th birthday. 

“I love to dance so I choreographed all the dances,” she said. “I was also able to incorporate some of my softball into my quinceañera. I wore my turfs as my first shoes before my dad switched them. That was fun.”

Barnes wants to play college softball and study nursing or sports medicine. The medical profession runs in her family. Her mom is a nurse, her sister is a nurse practitioner, and her brother is studying to be a cardiovascular surgeon.

“I really want to be able to help people and see what that's about,” Barnes said. “My grandmother has cancer, so I want to be able to help in that type of area.”

Despite her early success in softball, Barnes remains motivated by people who may doubt her ability to excel.

“Everybody who underestimated me is what keeps fueling the fire in me and makes me want to work harder and do greater things,” she said. “It makes me want to set my bar higher.”