LITTLE ROCK - Wrestling is back! Pack the Jack Stephens Center this Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. as the Trojans kick off their fifth season with a state of Arkansas vs state of Oklahoma double dual. Little Rock will face Carl Albert State from the state of Oklahoma on one mat, while simultaneously, in-state Ouachita Baptist will wrestle Oklahoma Central on a second mat on the floor.
Season tickets are still available for $30 and can be purchased by calling the Ticketing Office at 501-916-3257 or emailing
Director of Ticketing Michael Johnson at
majohnson@ualr.edu. Fans can get their single-match tickets ahead of time online
here.
For fans that can't match it to the campus of UA-Little Rock, the action will be
live streamed on Little Rock All-Access and live tweeted at
@LittleRockWRES.
Words From Coach
"Man, I can't believe we are going into our 5th season," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "We have an awesome, balanced schedule with lots of great competition. Fans won't want to miss a single home dual."
"Looking at our team, this could be a really exciting year," he added. "On paper, it's potentially the best team we've ever had. Our guys have worked so hard this off season. They've changed their bodies and are getting better every day. I know they are amped to get back on the mat, so we can't wait to see your support Wednesday night."
See what else all four of the coaches had to say about the squad and the season here.
Guess Who's Back, Back Again
This season's first starting lineup features a handful of familiar faces, including six Trojans that competed at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships this past spring:
Jeremiah Reno (125),
Josh Sarpy (133),
Matty Bianchi (157),
Tyler Brennan (174),
Triston Wills (184) and
Josiah Hill (285). Brennan and Wills both moved up a weight class, while everyone else steps into their usual spot.
Just one weight class will feature a wrestler that has not yet started for the Trojans: 149, which will see either
Kyle Dutton or
Jake Adams take the mat.
Brennan Van Hoecke,
Brendon Abdon and
Stephen Little did not have their redshirts pulled last season but did make appearances in various matches.
The Base Has Been Built
Last season saw more progress for the Trojans as they compiled their best dual record in their short program history, amassing more dual wins in one season than the previous three years combined. The team also moved up to fifth place in the Pac-12 Tournament, with more Trojans reaching finals than ever before.
With only two true freshmen this season, the squad is deeper than ever before. Notably, four Little Rock wrestlers enter their fifth year in the program as they continue to shape the culture of the program:
Joseph Bianchi,
Tyler Brennan,
Jayden Carson and
Jaylen Carson. Meanwhile, seven Trojans begin their fourth year on the roster.
Full Steam Ahead
The Trojans have one more home dual in November, a faceoff against the ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Friday, November 17 at 7 p.m. The team will also attend the Tiger Style Invitational hosted by Mizzou and the Lindenwood Open for a taste of tournament competition this month.
Little Rock fans staying in the Capitol City will have to hold tight in December, as a loaded away schedule will take Little Rock on the road until they return to the Jack Stephens Center on Friday, January 19 at 7 p.m. against Pac-12 conference rivals Arizona State.
View the full schedule here.
Little Rock Probables
125:
Jeremiah Reno, Jr.
133:
Josh Sarpy, R-Jr.
141:
Brennan Van Hoecke, R-Fr.
149:
Kyle Dutton, R-Fr. OR
Jake Adams, R-So.
157:
Matty Bianchi, R-So.
165:
Brendon Abdon, R-Fr.
174:
Tyler Brennan, R-Sr.
184:
Triston Wills, R-Sr.
197:
Stephen Little, R-Fr.
285:
Josiah Hill, R-Jr.
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
