Mark Ryal finished his fifth season as the head coach for the Midwestern State softball program in 2021 after serving in the interim capacity in 2017.
With the team returning after almost a year hiatus, they collected a six game win-streak starting with a 4-2 win over William Jewell (Mo.) and ending with a 10-2 rout of Western New Mexico. The Mustangs concluded the season with back-to-back wins over Texas Woman's.
During an abbreviated 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mustangs earned wins over two top 25 teams, downing No. 22 Rogers State and No. 2 UT Tyler. The win over the second ranked Patriots was the program's first over a top five opponent since an 11-4 victory over No. 4 Southeastern Oklahoma on February 8, 2015.
The Mustangs posted their highest winning percentage in five seasons during the 2019 campaign, going 22-19 and finishing seventh in the Lone Star Conference. Additionally the Maroon and Gold's 17-2 record at home marked the best home winning percentage in team history.
Ryal, who came to the Mustangs staff in 2016 as an assistant coach to Brady Tigert, brings 16 years of coaching experience to MSU having coached seven seasons at the NCAA Division I level including a one-year stint as an assistant coach with Oklahoma State in 2015.
Prior to his stint with the Cowgirls, Ryal spent one season as an assistant coach with the South Alabama Jaguars, helping the squad to a 42-14 record and season-best No. 11 ranking in the NFCA Coaches Poll. The Jaguars advanced all the way to the NCAA regional final before falling to national runner-up Alabama, 3-0. Ryal coached three Jaguars to All-Sun Belt Conference honors in his one season with the squad.
A native of Dewar, Okla., Ryal returned to the Sooner State to serve as head coach at Prague (Okla.) High School after five seasons as the hitting coach for the Auburn Tigers, seeing the Tigers offense record its fewest strikeouts in 13 years in his final season in 2012.
In 2011, Auburn ranked in both the ESPN and NFCA top-25 polls, spending 12 weeks in the NFCA poll with a season-high ranking of 21st. The Tigers also recorded their first-ever series win over a top-five program, taking two wins in a three-game series from No. 4 Georgia.
In his five seasons at Auburn, Ryal helped the Tigers to three consecutive NCAA regional appearances while coaching five All-Southeastern Conference players.
Prior to Auburn, Ryal served as the head coach for Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla., for one season following a four-year stint as head coach at Inola (Okla.) High School from 2003-06.
Ryal also spent one season as the hitting coach for the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team during their College World Series run in 1995.
Playing Career
Ryal made his Major League Baseball debut in 1982 with the Kansas City Royals after four years in the minor league system. He was drafted in the third round of the 1978 draft. Ryal spent time with the Chicago White Sox (1985), California Angels (1986-87), Philadelphia Phillies (1989) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990) during his professional career. He also served one season as a scout for the Royals in 2005.
Ryal hit .375 in 13 appearances to help the Angels to an American League Western Division title in 1986. In his final MLB season, Ryal helped the Pirates to a National League Eastern Division title in 1990.
Ryal earned his bachelor’s degree from East Central University (Okla.) in 1997.
Personal
He and his wife, Renae, have three children – Rusty, Kacie and Karlie. Rusty was a two-year letterwinner for the Oklahoma State baseball team from 2004-05 and was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005, making his MLB debut on Aug. 10, 2009. Kacie played shortstop for three years at Auburn-Montgomery, helping the Warhawks to a NAIA World Series semifinal appearance in 2012.
The Ryal File
Head Coach at Inola (Okla.) HS - 2003-06
Head Coach at Carl Albert State College - 2008
Assistant Coach at Auburn - 2009-13
Head Coach at Prague (Okla.) HS - 2013
Assistant Coach at South Alabama - 2014
Assistant Coach at Oklahoma State - 2015
Assistant Coach at Midwestern State - 2016
Interim Head Coach at Midwestern State - 2017
Head Coach at Midwestern State - 2018-2021
| Year |
Head Coach |
Overall |
Conference |
Conf. Finish |
Conf. Tournament |
Postseason |
| 2021 |
Mark Ryal |
15-27 (.357) |
8-20 (.286) |
12th |
|
|
| 2020* |
Mark Ryal |
3-19 (.136) |
1-5 (.167) |
15th |
|
|
| 2019 |
Mark Ryal |
22-19 (.537) |
13-17 (.433) |
7th |
|
|
| 2018 |
Mark Ryal |
15-23 (.395) |
9-21 (.300) |
9th |
|
|
| 2017 |
Mark Ryal |
19-27 (.413) |
10-20 (.333) |
9th |
|
|
| Totals |
5 Seasons |
74-115 (.392) |
41-83 (.331) |
|
|
|
*The remainder of the 2020 campaign was canceled on March 15, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
