STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team is set to host No. 23 South Dakota State on Friday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Dual Details
Date/Times: No. 23 South Dakota State – Feb. 4, 2022/ 7 p.m. CT
Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Listen: Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com
The Basics
The No. 10 ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team (10-2 overall; 4-2 Big 12) will look to bounce back against No. 23 South Dakota State after losing two bouts last weekend to Northern Iowa and No. 7 Iowa State. The Cowboys will close out a five-match home stand before heading to Missouri on Sunday.
The Series – South Dakota State
Oklahoma State and South Dakota State have met only five times previously. OSU has won each of those meetings. The series with SDSU began in 2014, when the Pokes defeated the Jackrabbits at a neutral site, 25-9. In the five dual bouts, the Cowboys have beaten SDSU by an average margin of 24.2 points. The largest victory came for the Pokes in 2018 in Brookings where they claimed all but one bout, which was an injury forfeit and topped the Jackrabbits, 45-9.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Move the Cowboys to 11-2 overall
• Improve OSU’s record to 6-0 in the series; 3-0 in Stillwater
• Mark OSU’s 500th dual win in Gallagher-Iba Arena
• Make John Smith’s record 6-0 against SDSU
Cowboys in the Polls
Oklahoma State’s roster features 10 wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with six holding spots inside the top-10. Sophomore 197-pounder AJ Ferrari is the consensus No. 1 wrestler at his weight and is the highest ranked Cowboy, after winning his first individual title at the NCAA Championships in March. Following Ferrari, Daton Fix appears at No. 2 at 133 pounds as the reigning Big 12 champion and national finalist. Also making appearances in the top 10 of their respective weight classes are All-Americans Travis Wittlake and Dakota Geer. Geer is as high as No. 8 at 184 pounds in the FloWrestling rankings, while Wittlake is ranked eighth at 165 pounds by the majority of the polls. 125-pounder Trevor Mastrogiovanni holds down the No. 8 spot, according to Intermat. A 10-1 start to the season with five wins over ranked opponents has Dustin Plott (174) into the top-10 of nearly every poll. Wyatt Sheets is ranked No. 14 at 157 pounds by WIN Magazine, while Kaden Gfeller lands as high as No. 13 in Intermat’s 149-pound rankings. True freshman Carter Young climbed to No. 17 this week in the FloWrestling poll. Heavyweight Luke Surber holds the final spot in the Intermat poll where he is ranked No. 33.
Dustin His Competition
Cowboy 174-pounder Dustin Plott has gotten off to an impressive start in his sophomore season. He defeated a ranked opponent in each of OSU’s first three duals. He beat No. 31 Tyler Eischens of Stanford, 7-6, No. 23 Jared Krattiger (MINN), 5-1, and No. 12 Mickey O’Malley (DREX), 6-3. His upset over O’Malley marked the highest ranked win of his young career. He matched that on December 17 when he took down No. 12 Hayden Hastings of Wyoming, 7-2. Beginning the season ranked No. 16 by Intermat, Plott has moved up to No. 10 thus far with a 10-1 record.
Tune In
Friday’s match will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with J Carl Guymon and Lee Roy Smith on the call. It can be heard on the radio Friday afternoon with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on air beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats can be found on Trackwrestling.com.
