Softball: Prague hires Auburn assistant, former major leaguer Mark Ryal as coach

The Prague school board approved Auburn assistant and former Major League Baseball player Mark Ryal as the school’s new softball coach, superintendent Rick Martin said.

Ryal spent the last five seasons at Auburn. For one season before that, he was head coach at Carl Albert State College in Poteau. From 2003-06, Ryal was softball coach at Inola.

He was hitting coach for Oklahoma’s baseball team in 1995, when the Sooners made a College World Series appearance.

As a player, Ryal played 10 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ryal was a high school baseball standout at Dewar in the 1970s. His son, Rusty, played at OSU and is currently in the Arizona Diamondbacks system.