Hillsdale’s new assistant softball coach, Ericka Hess, didn’t find her position through a job listing or word of mouth. She discovered it on TikTok. 

Hess officially joined the Hillsdale College softball team last fall as its new assistant coach. 

“Believe it or not, I was scrolling through TikTok,” Hess said, “And I see this guy doing a trendy dance and the caption says, ‘When your coach still doesn’t have an assistant coach,’ and the player was doing a lot of the drills and practice and stuff.”

After seeing the TikTok, Hess began researching Hillsdale. 

“I just knew that it would end up being a very good fit for me and a good place for me,” Hess said. “It was funny when Coach Kyle and I had our first phone conversation. He asked, ‘So how did you hear about the job?’ And I kind of had to pause for a second because I was like, ‘Well, I have to tell the truth.’”

Hailing from Erie, Pennsylvania, Hess began her softball career at just 5 years old in a T-ball league. After graduating from T-ball, she played baseball in a boys league until age 9, she said. After that, Hess finally switched over to softball. 

Her softball career continued throughout all of middle and high school, and she went on to play at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Hess played second base and outfield, and in 2019, her team made it to the four-team PAC Tournament for the first time since 2014, she said. 

“I studied psychology in college and was very interested in it, but it was always a fallback,” Hess said. “I knew I had to go to college to play softball.”

Soon after graduating from Geneva, Hess returned to her high school and served as the head varsity softball coach, she said. But once Hess realized she could get into college coaching, she began looking everywhere for positions. This year, there was a big turnover for college coaches and many positions were available, Hess said. 

Kyle Gross, head softball coach, felt he hadn’t found any viable candidates for his team until he met Hess, he said. 

“I was happy that she had so much enthusiasm,” Gross said. 

Now with the Hillsdale Chargers, Hess said she’s soaking everything in and learning from the team. 

“What I learned in my first couple of weeks here is that the softball team follows suit with all of Hillsdale’s values,” Hess said. “The culture with the girls and the coach is established already and is fantastic. It’s a great atmosphere for them to play in. They’re welcoming, they’re helpful, they’re great kids.”

Just a few weeks ago, the team completed their annual Iron Man workout, consisting of a 20 minute swim, 35 minutes of cycling, and a three mile run. Hess said she was impressed by the players’ hard work and determination. 

“They all finished, and they would go right from one exercise to another,” Hess said. “The girls absolutely crushed it. That was really when I knew this team had a lot of grit to them.”

Gross said he’s excited Hess joined the team because they can each devote more individual time to the athletes. 

“Now that we have two coaches it allows us to split things up and work more one on one while still getting other athletes’ attention at the same time,” Gross said. “The dynamic is always a little cautiously optimistic at first, but it did not take long for Ericka to fit right in and start working with the players.”

Senior first baseman Jenna Cantalupo agreed that Hess has fit right in and has been a great support to the players. 

“Upon arrival, I knew that Coach Hess would offer a refreshing insight on the game,” Catanlupo said. “She seemed young enough to understand our position as players, yet mature enough to take on the role as our assistant coach. It seemed that she would fit well with Coach Kyle’s philosophy and therefore be a good addition to the team.”

With this extra addition, Cantalupo said she’s excited for the team to continue to grow and get better. 

“Having her on the staff helps us achieve the goals we’ve had since day one,” Cantalupo said. “Coach Kyle and us as players really thrive with the extra support.”

The Chargers will open the 2023 season on Feb. 10-11 in Tennessee with a four-game tournament against Tusculum University and Lees-McRae College.