If not for missing her freshman year because of COVID, Katie Armstrong could’ve potentially pushed for one of the best pitching careers in recent WPIAL history. In three years in the circle, she still left a sterling legacy at Burrell. The former Buccaneer star is now in her third year at Gannon University, and she’s already been recognized as one of the best hurlers in the PSAC. Armstrong is in the spotlight in this edition of the Westmoreland Alum Q&A.

When Armstrong was a freshman at Burrell, she appeared poised to make an immediate impact. However, the season was wiped out because of the pandemic.

The following season, Armstrong compiled a 7-5 mark in the circle, working 85.1 innings with an ERA of 1.15, with 21 walks and 163 strikeouts. At the plate, she posted an average of .340. As a result, she garnered First-Team All-Section accolades. Collectively, the Buccaneers went 7-6, including 6-4 in section play. In the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, Burrell defeated Belle Vernon Area, but lost to West Mifflin Area in the quarterfinals.

As a junior, Armstrong posted unbelievable numbers, registering a record of 14-3 with a microscopic ERA of 0.18, tossing 120 innings and issuing just 17 walks while racking up 257 punchouts. For her efforts, she repeated as a First-Team All-Section pick, and was also recognized as a Second-Team All-State selection. With Armstrong factoring into every decision, Burrell went 14-3 on the year, including 9-1 in the section. In the WPIAL Class 4A postseason, the Bucs once again bested Belle Vernon Area, but then fell to Elizabeth Forward in the semifinals. However, Burrell won a consolation tilt against Montour, securing a spot in the PIAA Class 4A playoffs. In the state bracket, Burrell claimed a victory against Villa Maria Academy in the first round.

In her senior year, Armstrong amassed another incredible campaign, going 14-7 in the circle with an ERA of 0.91, working 131 innings with 24 walks and 269 strikeouts. At the plate, Armstrong batted .377 with 16 RBIs. Thus, she was again First-Team All-Section, and repeated as Second-Team All-State at pitcher. The Bucs went 14-7 overall, including 7-3 in the section. In the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, they defeated Mount Pleasant Area and Mohawk before coming up short against Avonworth in the semifinals. However, Burrell rebounded to oust Waynesburg Central in the consolation, punching its ticket to the states. In the PIAA Class 3A first round, the Buccaneers tasted defeat against Juniata to conclude the campaign.

After her decorated high school career wrapped up, Armstrong matriculated to Gannon University, joining the Golden Knights for the 2024 campaign. That season, she pitched in 13 games, including 11 starts. In that action, she went 6-5 with an ERA of 3.68, tossing 57 innings while compiling 16 walks and 67 strikeouts. She was also recognized as a PSAC Scholar-Athlete. Collectively, the Golden Knights went 32-15, including 25-6 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). In the conference tournament, Gannon lost to Shippensburg University, triumph against Slippery Rock University, and tasted defeat against California University of Pennsylvania. Still, Gannon qualified for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, where the Golden Knights suffered a setback against West Chester University, defeated Bloomsburg University, but then lost to the University of Charleston to end the season.

Last year, Armstrong emerged as a top hurler in the conference, as she appeared in 25 games, including 21 starts. In that action, she went 15-7 with a 2.51 ERA in 133.2 innings. She also accumulated 36 walks and 181 strikeouts. Her performance garnered her First-Team All-PSAC West accolades. Gannon produced another strong campaign, going 29-19, including 18-10 in the PSAC. In the conference tournament, though, the Golden Knights lost to Shepherd University and Cal U to conclude the campaign.

This season, Armstrong began with a flourish, pitching in five games, including a pair of starts. In that limited action, she went 2-1 with a pair of saves, working 15.1 innings with an ERA of 1.37, with six walks and 23 strikeouts. However, an injury has sidelined her for the rest of the campaign. Thus far, Gannon has achieved a mark of 10-10, including 5-3 in the PSAC.

While recovering from her injury, Katie set aside time to respond to questions about her All-PSAC accolades, her decision to attend Gannon, and the one rule she’d like to change in college softball.

Q: How have you evaluated your performance thus far this season?

A: My performance so far is not how I would like to be evaluated. In our season opener down in Glenville, I pitched the first game, and I felt really good with my performance, and I came in for relief the next game and felt great about my performance. The next day, however, I was having some extreme back pain, which prevented me from playing. We went to Florida, and I was limited with innings and came in for relief for a couple of games, and performed alright - not my best that I know I can perform - but in one of the games, my back flared up again. I was out the rest of our Spring Training until we returned to Erie, where I got an MRI, and after discussing with my doctor, we decided that I would be medically redshirting this season due to my health. In the innings and games I was fortunate enough to play in, I was happy with my performance.

Q: What pitches do you throw, and which do you consider your "out" pitch?

A: I throw mainly every pitch but a drop, so a fastball, changeup, curve, screwball, and rise ball. I would say my “out” pitch would be my rise ball - I get the most people to chase on it.

Q: You were a First-Team All-PSAC performer last year. What did that honor mean to you?

A: It was a huge honor to be a part of the First-Team All-PSAC; I was not expecting it, especially since pitching in the PSAC is very competitive, and there are a lot of good pitchers on both the East and West. I am very proud to have received this honor and be recognized for my talent along with my team.

Q: The Golden Knights have been very successful in their first two seasons. What are the biggest factors in that?

A: I feel like part of the success from the past two years is that I know my defense trusts me when I step on the mound, so I think having trust in my defense and vice versa is huge and plays a lot into our team’s defense. There has to be trust with everyone on the field playing, because if that happens, then everyone plays loose and has fun, which is key to Gannon softball’s success.

Q: What team and individual goals did you set for 2026?

A: Obviously, a team goal of ours is always to be the first team on the west, as well as win the PSAC tournament. Ideally, a goal would be to make regionals again, but we have to do well in PSAC conference games and the tournament before we think about regionals. We need to stay focused on the game(s) in front of us.

Q: What led to your decision to attend Gannon?

A: I had a couple of reasons for my decision to attend Gannon. The first one being that I absolutely loved the campus and the education department, so I was sold that I was going here regardless of softball. Another reason why I chose Gannon is that I had a couple of teammates from travel already playing there or were in my class and committed there, so it made transitioning easier when I knew girls already going in. I also just felt that the softball team was what I was looking for. I feel like the girls when I went to camps were always very close with one another, and I really liked all the coaches at Gannon.

Q: What is your major, and ideal future profession?

A: My major is special education and early childhood, so my plan after college is to become a teacher. As of right now, my ideal teaching job would be a fourth-grade math teacher.

Q: What has been your most challenging college class?

A: My most challenging college class would have to be a literature class I took, which was online and only a seven-week course, so it was very quick-paced. It was also a literature class that was focused on healthcare majors, so I was a bit confused and struggled due to my lack of knowledge in that field. The professor was also a harsh grader, so it just made the class a challenge.

Q: What was your fondest high school memory at Burrell?

A: I would say my fondest memory at Burrell was all the clubs and activities I was involved in, like marching band color guard, drama club, NHS, unified bocce, and softball. I met a lot of great people, and I am forever grateful for all the friendships and memories I made at Burrell.

Q: Do you still follow Bucs athletics or WPIAL softball?

A: I do still keep up with Burrell softball, as well as the other WPIAL softball teams. I am glad to see all the talent within the sport, plus it’s nice to see the possible teammates, as well.

Q: If you could change one rule about college softball, what would it be?

A: If I could change one rule about college softball, I would change that if you have two strikes on you and you hit a foul ball, you're out, and that counts as strike three.

Q: To which movie or TV show can you recite nearly every line?

A: A movie that I can recite would have to be Elf, and a TV show I could recite would be Friends.

Q: What is your favorite vacation spot, or a place you've always wanted to visit?

A: A favorite vacation spot of mine is Indian Shores, Florida. We always go there in the summer because my cousins used to have a condo down there, but we fell in love with the quiet beach area. We try to go every year!