Oklahoma High School Softball Player Returns to Field After Life-Threatening Health Battle

Capri Mark is preparing to take the field with Enid High School at the Oklahoma state tournament after battling Tuberculosis and more.

Enid (Okla.) High School sophomore Capri Mark is returning to the field after battling several health concerns. | Capri Mark on X

When Capri Mark steps onto the field with her Enid High School teammates at the Oklahoma state tournament on Friday night, it might be the first time she can take a deep breath in months.

Mark, 16, has been dealing with a variety of health issues since she was 10 but this last round nearly killed her. 

The sophomore hasn’t been with her team for weeks after being diagnosed with tuberculosis in September. She was hospitalized for a week and quarantined at home for two more weeks before she got the all-clear from the Health Department on Tuesday.

Mark’s health journey began when she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis as a child and just a few months ago, she began feeling a little “off.” She didn’t have the same energy or enthusiasm to get through games like normal.

A trip to the pediatrician led her to the emergency room.

“When they came in with the news of tuberculosis, it was devastating,” Ali Mark, Capri’s mother, told Softball On SI in a phone interview. “The first thing I thought of was, 'Is she going to survive this?'”

Photos of Capri Mark in the hospital. | Submitted

Capri had unknowingly played through a bout of COVID-19 and was diagnosed with pneumonia. The trip to the hospital, an X-ray of her chest, and the hospital's knowledge of a previous Tuberculosis outbreak in Enid led to the additional diagnosis. 

“This whole softball season, she played Rheumatoid arthritis, COVID, pneumonia and Tuberculosis, and we had no idea,” Ali added.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health says symptoms include a cough, unexplained night sweats, fever and weight loss. Capri experienced all of that.

A rapid 20-pound weight loss and a 104-temperature was the first sign of trouble for Capri.

The initial ER trip confirmed the COVID diagnosis. She was put on antibiotics and took the necessary precautions to prevent spreading it, but instead of getting better, she started feeling worse. 

“I started having to use an inhaler and getting out of breath,” Capri recalled. “I went back to get a chest X-ray and I came home to take a nap. My mom woke me up and told me we needed to go to the hospital because I had pneumonia. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what pneumonia was… We went to OU Children’s, and they ran more tests on me and then put me in an isolated room because they tested me for tuberculosis.”

Once Capri was properly diagnosed, she spent a week in isolation at the hospital. Her teammates FaceTimed her to celebrate big wins and keep her company. 

After returning home, Capri was quarantined and was only allowed to go to her grandparents' house. Their big backyard gave her a place to practice because she wasn’t going to miss the rest of the season.

Softball lately… ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/37K2Z60bLR

— Capri “Turbo” Mark ⚡️ (@capri_mark99) September 3, 2026

The Process of Getting Cleared

In order to be cleared by the Health Department, one cannot show any signs or symptoms of tuberculosis and because it is an airborne disease, the entire family had to be tested.

To have contact with people outside of the family, the family had to test negative and couldn’t be coughing or showing signs of chest pain.

“When Capri left the hospital, she was still coughing but not too terribly bad,” Ali said. “The good thing is that we caught this soon enough and she wasn’t one of the cases that was coughing up blood.”

Because Capri had tuberculosis of the lungs, it’s typical for her to be a little out of breath and when the Health Department visited the family on Oct. 9, it was confirmed that she would be cleared sooner rather than later.

Enid Pacers claim the Class 6A-1 district championship title!

27-0 and still going… 😊 pic.twitter.com/SUfuUkbbM1

— Capri “Turbo” Mark ⚡️ (@capri_mark99) September 18, 2026

Capri was supposed to be quarantined for up to six weeks and not go back to school until December but the power of prayer fast-tracked that.

“My family and I prayed to God about me being able to play,” Capri said. “We asked God to pave a way for me to be cleared. If this was what He wanted for me, then He would find a way to clear me. He did and He came through and it’s a really big deal.”

Capri and Ali will be taking extra precautions at the tournament. They are driving separately from the team and staying in their own hotel room. They also got doctor’s notes for her coaches to show that she is cleared to play.

The day she was cleared, Capri surprised her team in person. 

A Difference Maker on the Field

Capri, who plays travel ball for Impact Gold Jazz, is the top-ranked recruit in the state and No. 33 in the country by Softball America for the class of 2029, is batting .534 (55-for-103) with five doubles, three triples, 24 stolen bases and 45 runs scored coming into Friday’s game for Enid. 

As a freshman, Capri had one of the best seasons in Enid history. She hit .672 (84-for-125), with 10 doubles, four triples, one home run, 32 runs batted in, 60 runs scored and 34 stolen bases.

Capr Mark is pictured with her sisters, Rawlings and Camri. | Submitted

“I’m super excited (to play in State),” Capri said. “My mom was the last Enid team to be in State, which was 21 years ago. We’re the second and I’m excited that I get to play while my mom is watching me… I’m so excited to see and feel the atmosphere but I’m definitely going to ease into it, though, because I just got cleared and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize me and my body.”

Due to inclement weather, the state tournament was pushed back, giving Capri an extra day to prepare. Perhaps it is a God thing after all.