LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock wrestling is back at the Jack this Saturday, hosting the #4 Oklahoma State Cowboys for a 7:30 p.m. battle. Fans in attendance can pick up a Trojan poster at the door and enter to win a prize pack which includes headgear signed by the team.
Wrestling fans can watch the Trojans
live online with Little Rock All-Access, follow results on TrackWrestling, and check out updates on Twitter
@LittleRockWRES.
"We have an incredible opportunity to showcase wrestling in Arkansas at the highest level," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "Our goal is break our attendance record of 1,500 at this dual. We want as many people as possible to be there and be loud!"
Last Time Out
The Little Rock wrestling team kicked off 2022 at the Southern Scuffle last weekend, where the Trojans were led by
Tyler Brennan. The redshirt sophomore advanced to the second day of the prestigious tournament, finishing with a 3-2 record in the second consolation round of 8.
Josiah Hill also had a strong showing, adding three wins to his belt. Hill,
Jaylen Carson, and
Joseph Bianchi are tied for the best season records on the team going into tomorrow's dual at nine wins and four losses.
Little Rock finished 21st at the tournament, ahead of 2021-22 schedule opponents Drexel, VMI, and CSU-Bakersfield.
Reunion in The Rock
With the addition of
Albert White to the Trojan staff, that makes three of the four coaches Cowboy alums. The friendly rivalry is a great opportunity for Little Rock to wrestle one of the toughest teams in the nation and elevate their game going into the thick of dual season.
"I'm excited to have my Alma Mater here," added Coach Erisman. "It's always fun to compete against them. They bring a great team with experience and toughness to Little Rock. Everyone should look forward to a good fight and a good night of wrestling. Every single one of our guys have a great chance to see an opponent that they we will have to beat at nationals."
Dual Season, Straight Ahead
Tomorrow marks the first of 12 duals ahead of the Pac-12 Championships on March 5, and just one of three chances remaining to cheer on the Trojans at home. Following Saturday, Little Rock will go on a five-match road swing before closing the month of January with a tri-dual against Northern Illinois and Pac-12 foes Cal Poly on Sunday the 30th at 10 a.m. The ranked Cowboys will give the Trojans a taste of what's to come, as five of their remaining 11 dual opponents are currently ranked or receiving votes in the
NWCA Coaches Poll.
A Glance at #4 Oklahoma State
The ranked Cowboy arrive at Little Rock with a perfect 7-0 overall record and 4-0 in the Big 12.
While every Oklahoma State wrestler is ranked, via Intermat, a handful of backups may make an appearance in the lineup, as shown below.
This marks the third time the Cowboys and the Trojans battle, and the second time at Little Rock. Last year at home,
Paul Bianchi earned the win at 133 pounds, while the Trojans fell 36-4. However, only starters
Conner Ward and
Triston Wills return from last year's lineup in the dual, so expect some exciting new matchups tomorrow.
Little Rock Probables
125:
Jayden Carson, R-So. (7-6)
133:
Jaylen Carson, R-So. (9-4)
141:
Conner Ward, R-Jr. (2-6)
149:
Joseph Bianchi, R-So. (9-4)
157:
Chase Tebbets, Jr. (6-4) -or-
Austin Keal, R-Fr. (4-3)
165:
Tyler Brennan, R-So. (7-6)
174:
Triston Wills, R-So. (7-4)
184:
Tanner Mendoza, So. (6-4)
197:
Brooks Sacharczyk, R-Fr. (5-8)
285:
Josiah Hill, R-Fr. (9-4)
#4 Oklahoma State Probables
125: #9 Trevor Mastrogiovanni, So. (7-0)
133: #2 Daton Fix, R-Jr. (7-0)
141: #20 Carter Young, Fr. (4-1)
149: #15 Kaden Gfeller, R-Sr. (6-1) -or- Joey Sanchez, R-Jr. (7-4)
157: #13 Wyatt Sheets, R-Sr. (6-1) -or- Daniel Manibog, R-So. (9-5) -or- Jalin Harper, R-Jr. (10-4)
165: #5 Travis Wittlake, R-Jr. (6-1)
174: #8 Dustin Plott, So. (7-0) -or- Cade Lindsey, R-Jr. (0-0)
184: #11 Dakota Geer, R-Sr. (6-1) -or- Gavin Stika, R-So. (9-3)
197: #1 AJ Ferrari, So. (7-0)
HWT: #31 Luke Surber, So. (5-2) -or- Austin Harris, R-Sr. (10-3)
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
