Erika Kloosterman joined the WMU softball staff in November of 2023 and serves as an assistant coach.
Kloosterman was a dominant four-year multi-sport athlete at Lawton high school. She would letter in three varsity sports: volleyball, basketball, and softball.
During her college career at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kloosterman pitched a total of 208 innings, threw 153 strikeouts, and posted a 2.27 ERA in her two years with the Cougars. In her freshman year at KVCC, she would post a career-high .403 batting average along with 10 home runs. Later, in her sophomore season, Kloosterman hit a .374 average and added 44 hits. Kloosterman would also play one year at Aquinas College where as a pitcher, she struck out 84 batters and posted a 3.31 ERA.
As a coach, Kloosterman spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. As an assistant, she was in charge of recruiting, practice plans, instructional work with pitchers and infielders, and orchestrating youth camps. Kloosterman would lead KVCC to an overall conference record of 128-54 with five NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Regional tournament appearances.
Kloosterman also helps manage Starting Lineup LLC with Coach Morgan VanderBor since 2017. The two have coached together at KVCC from 2017-2022.
Erika is the sister of Shayne Whittington, who played for the WMU men's basketball team from 2011-2014.
2024:
During her first season with WMU, Kloosterman helped guide junior Payton Kelly to an All-MAC First Team selection and senior Haley Boxwell to an All-MAC Second Team nod after career years at the plate. Under Kloosterman's leadership, Kelly saw a career year, posting a .351 batting average along with 53 hits, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and eight doubles. As for Boxwell, she hit .331 and added 24 RBI, 10 doubles, and blasted three home runs.
Kloosterman's impact was showcased throughout the season up and down the lineup, as many individuals saw personal feats, including junior Riley Dittmar, who recorded 19 straight games reaching base safely, to WMU's 10 runs over Abilene Christian University, which was the program's most runs scored in a season opener since 2010.
During the season, Kloosterman led a variety of Broncos to offensive feats including Kelly and Dittmar, who became the first Broncos to tally at least 70 bases since 2018. The duo would also become the first two teammates to produce 50 hits each during a single season since 2021. Additionally, Megan Welsh, Rissa Bajusz, Boxwell, Kelly, and Dittmar became the first five teammates since 2017 to register over 20 RBI in a campaign...
As a team, the Brown and Gold finished 2024 ranked inside the top 10 in six different WMU single-season offensive categories, from team batting average (sixth highest in single-season history) to doubles hit (sixth most produced in single-season history).
