Though she'd deflect the praise, first-year head softball coach Kecia Davis can't suppress a smile when discussing the Regals' 12-3 start — their best in almost 30 years.
"It's about confidence," she said. "They're having fun, they're confident.
They believe in themselves and believe in the team and that's what's keeping us going."
The team's dramatic turnaround, with essentially the same starting lineup as last year, is undeniable. Asked to assess her new coach's performance, Regals' star pitcher Ashlyn Flinchum said, "10 out of 10."
"For the seniors, she's really into making this our best year," Flinchum said. "She's all about us having fun. And winning, it's fun."
Out of the blue
Davis was on the softball field this time last year, too, only she was taping ankles, not sending in signals.
The school's longtime head athletic trainer was perfectly content in her role as director of health, wellness and performance, a position she assumed in 2021 after taking over the strength and conditioning program. So when Athletic Director Howard Davis (no relation) called her into his office last summer to ask her to take the reins of the softball program, Kecia Davis was understandably shocked.
"I'm like 'Wha… what?' I was totally caught off guard. It was completely out of the blue," she said.
With head coach Debra Day's departure so close to the start of the school year, the athletics department was in a time crunch. Howard Davis said he wanted to find an internal candidate to provide immediate stability until a long-term replacement could be identified.
After some thought, he landed on Davis, who led the program to 159 victories and four conference championships in five seasons between 1994 and 1998. Since that time, the Regals have had just nine winning seasons in 25 years and no titles.
"Coaching is 99% relationships and 1% sport expertise," the athletic director said. "I was confident her relationship skills would lead to success. Kecia has a strong competitive nature. I knew she would figure out the softball stuff."
With her mind going in a million directions, Davis asked for time to think it over. When she returned the following Monday, she had her answer: No.
"I said I just don't think I can do it," she told him. "It's just too much."
A message from on high
Davis, a former All-American catcher at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said her biggest concern wasn't coming back to coaching but what would become of her beloved training department.
Since being hired in 1991, the Thousand Oaks resident had elevated the department to become the pride of the Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference. She guided the construction of the training and workout rooms down to every minute detail, assembled a highly skilled staff, initiated a student-athlete nutrition program and partnered with Counseling and Psychological Services to ensure access to mental health support for athletes.
"My heart has always been in athletic training, it's always been that way," Davis said. "This place (the training facility) is how it is because I love it. I feel like we have one of the best athletic training programs in the conference."
But Howard Davis - true to form - refused to go quietly. He called in former athletic director and current vice president for enrollment management and student success, Matt Ward, to make another run at Kecia.
The trio met two weeks later in the athletics suite conference room, where Ward assured Davis that he'd bring in help to make sure that training didn't suffer while she was focused on coaching. He also offered to promote assistant coach John Barry to associate head coach to bolster her support system.
Even then, she didn't commit.
"I asked if I could have the weekend," Davis said.
That Sunday, the mother of two attended services at Lighthouse Church in Newbury Park and heard a guest speaker, a pastor from the San Fernando Valley, deliver a particularly relevant message.
"I had been praying a lot about (the decision) and then I heard this pastor say 'God has plans for us. We might not know what they are but there may be people out there we still need to meet, new challenges we need to focus on,'" she said. "He said 'God may have something on your heart right now,' and I just started laughing. Laughing and crying. And I knew what I needed to do."
"Literally I came back Monday and I said 'I'll do it.'"
Seniors take the lead
Senior third baseman Olivia Vargas admits she and her teammates had their doubts when Howard Davis announced Kecia Davis as their new head coach. Most had been advocating for Barry.
"We were just really confused," Vargas said. "We didn't know why she had stopped coaching before, and why she became an option. It was kind of hard for some people."
Flinchum shared the concerns.
"I only knew her as a trainer," the Ventura native said. "I thought, 'What does she know about softball?' But then I learned she was a catcher at Cal Poly, and I thought 'OK, let's give her a chance.'"
Davis immediately called a meeting with all nine Regal seniors. Her message: This is your team.
"I told the girls on Day 1, I'm not doing this for me," she said. "I have no aspirations to be a coach for longer than a year or two. I have no ego to feed. I want to retire and play golf. I'm doing this for you guys. I want you to have a good time."
Later that month, Davis invited the team - all 31 of them - to dinner at her home in T.O.. They shared stories. They laughed. They drew closer. Whatever it was, it worked.
"I think that night we knew she was the right choice," Vargas said.
So far, so good
Vargas said one of the things she appreciates most about Davis is her willingness to admit when she needs help.
"She listens to us, she's always asking for our feedback, what do we see that she doesn't see," the Fillmore native said. "She's constantly getting our opinions on team decisions and doesn't leave us blindsided by things."
While the game had changed in the 24 years since she last coached, Davis said she's picking up things quickly. She also leans heavily on Barry and assistant coach Courtney Todd, who works with the pitchers.
"(Barry) is a real student of the game," she said. "I've got a ton of support. But the credit really goes to the girls."
It's a small sample size, but the difference year over year is staggering. The Regals are scoring seven runs a game (up from four in 2024). They're batting .370 as a team (best in SCIAC), have a team ERA of 2.68 and have outscored their opponents 113-39.
"It's crazy to me, all the runs we've put up," said Vargas, who leads the team with 22 hits. "Makes me wonder what we were doing last year. We have almost all the same girls in the lineup. I don't know if it's the energy, the leadership from the seniors … this is actually crazy."
Flinchum, defending SCIAC Pitcher of the Year, said there's no question the team is feeding off Davis' enthusiasm and energy.
"She's creating this really healthy and fun atmosphere, and she's pushing us in a rewarding way," said Flinchum, who is 4-1 on the season with a team-leading 1.31 ERA, three complete games and 33 strikeouts. "She's allowing us to be ourselves, and I think everyone is more comfortable out there."
As it turns out, the last time the Regals started a season this well was 1996, when they finished the year with a record of 25-5. Their coach at the time? Kecia Davis.
With so many games left to play, Davis is well aware that the Regals will have their struggles and it's far too early to celebrate. And as much fun as she's having, she admits having two full-time jobs is a lot.
"I don't know if this will be my only year, it may be, but I just know I'm going to enjoy it while I can," she said. "If we keep winning, great, but my focus continues to be on the girls, just making sure that they have the kind of season that they can look back on in 20 years and smile and laugh about. I want their memories to be positive ones."
Over the women's lockers in the clubhouse is written: T-Ship. Davis added it during the off-season.
"We're together, we're a tight ship. That's my motto for this year," she said. "There's a lot of girls on this team, and not everybody is going to play, but we have to stay together because in the storms, if we're not together, we're going to fall."
For now, the Regals are sailing.
