2026 Softball Preview: Whiteoak Lady Wildcats

WHITEOAK LADY WILDCATS
Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC)
Head Coach: JC Captain (1st season)
2025 Overall Record: 2-16 (2-11 SHAC, Div. II)
Last Conference Championship: 2015 (SHAC, Div. II)

The Whiteoak Lady Wildcats have a new head coach and a new roster to start the 2026 softball season as they look to rebuild the program after a two-win season in ’25. 

At the helm of Whiteoak is JC Captain, who takes over a Lady Wildcats program that is in the midst of restructuring their roster as they want to improve from their record of a season ago. 

Captain spoke about being the new WHS head coach, taking over a program that was 2-16 last season. 

“I would like to thank God and Whiteoak for this opportunity to coach here,” he said. “It has always been a goal of mine to become a head coach of a program for a long time, and I'm excited for my staff and I to take on this challenge as a first-time varsity head coach.”

Whiteoak’s roster has two seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. 

“We are a young team, with only four returning players. We are relying on our upperclassmen to lead the way and take charge,” Captain said. “That workload will fall on the shoulders of Madison Davidson (senior), Kyra Boyd (senior), Chanel Captain (junior) and Kylee Ruark (junior).”

Seniors for Whiteoak are Madison Davidson (3B/P) and Kyra Boyd (P/OF/IF).

Davidson last season as a junior played in 10 games, where she had 26 at-bats with a .269 batting average, a .406 on-base percentage and a .346 slugging percentage. She also totaled seven hits that included two doubles, while also drawing six walks and grabbed one steal. She also scored seven runs and had three RBI. 

The juniors for Whiteoak are Kylee Ruark (C/LF) and Chanel Captain (CF/P/2B). 

Ruark in 16 games last season as a sophomore had 48 at-bats where she batted .313 with 25 hits (two doubles), 10 RBI, nine runs, one walk and two hits by pitch, with a .353 OBP and a .354 SLG. 

“Madison Davidson and Kylee Ruark are two of the four returning players from last year, and we need their experience,” Captain said. “Both are skilled players and played a lot of softball over the years. They also know some in and outs of teams in the SHAC.”

Captain spoke about two strong athletes who have joined the program as upperclassmen this season. 

“Though Kyra Boyd and Chanel Captain haven't played for a combined eight years, it didn't take them long to get back into the swing of things as top threats,” he said. 

Whiteoak’s sophomores are Kylie Mitchell (SS/P/OF), Jenna Canada (C/SS/OF), Jada Combs (1B/3B/RF) and Mareah Wyatt (OF). 

“Jada Combs and Kylie Mitchell are returners from last season and have been putting in a tremendous amount of work to build their game,” Captain said. 

The freshmen this season for the Lady ’Cats are Ivy Garrison (RF/2B), McKinley Mootz (OF/3B/C). Ciara Boggs (RF/2B), MeKennah Sword (OF) and Layla Lear (OF). 

“We have a great group of sophomores and freshmen that have been working hard to prepare for the season,” Captain said. “I believe our freshmen and sophomores can become a great team down the road if they continue to put in the work like we have been over the last month or so.

“We had a late start since I was hired just shortly before we could start, but let me tell you, we have been working hard and will continue to do so.”

Captain’s coaching staff includes a group who have many accolades during their playing days, and that staff consists of Amy Captain (assistant head coach, Whiteoak ’04), Skye Cumberland (assistant coach, Whiteoak ’08), Morgan Garman (assistant coach, Hillsboro ’24) and Mylea Fridley (assistant coach, Hillsboro ’25)

The Lady ’Cats play in Division II of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference, as they will face Fayetteville, Manchester, Peebles and Fairfield twice this season. They will face SHAC Div. I opponents Eastern, Lynchburg-Clay, North Adams, Ripley and West Union once each in ’26.

The non-conference schedule for Whiteoak consists of at New Boston, at Hillsboro, at Bethel-Tate, vs. East Clinton, vs. Paint Valley and at Georgetown (DH). 

WHS begins the 2026 season Thursday, March 26 in a non-conference road game against the Glenwood New Boston Lady Tigers at 5 p.m.