Another week, another top ten matchup and another expected blowout for the #3 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0) when they face off against #5 North Carolina State on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena. NC State has had a great year so far, going 7-0 with wins over #12 Cornell (20-18) and #16 Rutgers as highlights. While the coach’s poll has them at #5, most other rankings have them a bit lower, in the 8-10 range as a dual team. OSU is 8-1 all-time against the Wolfpack and won 22-12 last year.
NC State is coached by former Cowboy Pat Popolizio, who has turned NC State into the ACC’s best program, with five straight conference championships. Fun fact about Popolizio – he is the only former Cowboy wrestler coached by John Smith that has ever won against him as head coach – a 19-15 NC State win in 2015. Another Cowboy favorite, Zack Esposito, is their Associate Head Coach, landing there after the regime change in Stillwater where he had the same title for the last seven years. While NC State will be without two of their best wrestlers (Ryan Jack and Jackson Arrington), they are still a good team and if the Pokes take them for granted, there could be a few upsets, and if they get a few, it might make for a tight match. With that said, I think the Pokes further distinguish themselves and win easily.
Let’s get to the likely matchups. Rankings are from Intermat.
125: (2) Troy Spratley (12-1) v. (11) Vincent Robinson (13-1) or Louie Gill (7-3): If Robinson is able to go, this will be one of the two highly anticipated matches of the night and would be an exciting matchup between two excellent young wrestlers. Robinson went 11-2 as a redshirt freshman last year and has continued his success this year with his only “loss” a medical forfeit against (1) Matt Ramos (Purdue) at CKLV after being injured in the quarters. Ramos was Spratley’s lone loss as well a 5-2 decision. Flowrestling’s Jon Kozak picked Robinson to win, but as talented as he is, he’s had a long layoff, and I think Spratley gets the win. If Robinson is still hurt, Spratley easily handles Gill. PREDICTION: Spratley by decision. OSU 3-0.
133: (18) Reece Witcraft (9-2) or Cael Hughes (5-0) v. (7) Kai Orine (9-2). After forfeiting this weight last week against Air Force Coach Taylor would only say that he expected to have “someone” out there this week for the Pokes. Witcraft has been banged up, no one is talking why Hughes couldn’t go and there is clearly some issue that caused Taylor to want to use a forfeit as a learning opportunity for the rest of the guys that could have gone at this weight. Whoever does suit up will get a tough task going against Orine, a three-time NCAA qualifier and two time All-American (8th, 8th). Orine’s two losses were against Luke Stanich (Lehigh), a 4-1 decision and Haiden Drury (Utah Valley), 2-1. PREDICTION: Orine with a close decision over whoever OSU sends out. Tie 3-3.
141: (4) Tagen Jamison (10-1) v. Tyler Tracy (4-5): Tagen has looked fantastic so far and has top ranked wins over (6) Brock Hardy and (11) Sam Latona this season. RS Freshman Tracy is out of his league here. He is 0-3 against decent wrestlers this year, losing two of those my major decision. Jamison is better than decent. PREDICTION: Jamison by Tech Fall. OSU 8-3.
149: (15) Carter Young (8-6) v. (33) Koy Buesgens (12-6): Carter has had an absolute gauntlet to start the year, facing several top ranked wrestlers with all but one loss to guys in the top 15. Buesgens is a talented RS Freshman but has lost to every ranked guy he’s faced this year, although most have been close matches. You can’t count out an upset here, but I expect Carter to get it done. PREDICTION: Young in a close one. OSU 11-3.
157: (14) Caleb Fish (12-4) v. (12) Ed Scott (6-3): Scott is a three-time NCAA qualifier, losing twice in the blood round and placing 5th in 2023. Scott had a bit of a tough start to the season, losing to Jimy Harrington (Harvard) and Jude Swisher (Penn) at the Journeyman Classic. Since then, he has gon on a bonus binge, albeit against lesser competition, with 5 bonus point victories in his last 6 matches. The only one he didn’t bonus was (2) Meyer Shapiro (Cornell), where he was disqualified for too many stalling penalties. Fish has looked pretty good after taking over for the injured Teague Travis, so we should expect a good match between two very good wrestlers. PREDICTION: Scott in a close one. OSU 11-6.
165: (6) Cam Amine (8-3) v. (32) Derek Fields (8-7): 4th year Junior Fields made the NCAA tournament for the first time last year but went 0-2 (including a 4-1 loss to Amine) and was eliminated quickly. He has lost seven of his last nine matches, but almost all of those were top ranked guys, and he’s been close in most of them. It doesn’t get any easier with Amine though. Amine usually keeps things low scoring, so while Amine should get the W here, I think it’ll be a close one. PREDICTION: Amine by decision. OSU 14-6.
174: (3) Dean Hamiti (12-0) v. (19) Matthew Singleton (10-4): Singleton has a win and a loss against (12) Simon Ruiz (Cornell) and a Sudden Victory loss against (8) Cade Devos (S. Dakota St.) among his last four matches. Hamiti, however, has been spectacular with bonus points in four of his last five matches, and in ten of his twelve matches this year for a 8% bonus rate. PREDICTION: While Singelton could conceivably keep it close, Hamiti is wrestling like a man possessed. Major Decision for Hamiti. OSU 18-6.
184: (3) Dustin Plott (10-1) v. (11) Dylan Fishback (6-3): Fishback lost in the NCAA blood round last year as a RS sophomore, and certainly has All American potential, but at 184 there’s levels to this thing with (1) Carter Starocci (Penn St.) and (2) Parker Keckeisen (N. Iowa) at level one, then Plott level two, until he ca close the gap, and then everyone else, including Fishback. Plott beat Fishback 13-8 a year ago, although they were tied in the 3rd period before Plott finished him off. I don’t expect it to be that close this time, and I think Plott will push for a major, but not quite get there. PREDICTION: Plott by 6. OSU 21-6.
197: (7) Luke Surber (13-1) v. (26) Christian Knop (6-4): Knop is a 5th year Senior who has never made the NCAA tournament but is a respectable 35-13 for his career and will likely end the non-qualifying streak this year as he has ranked wins over (27) Patrick Brophy (Citadel) and (28) Mikey Dellagatta (Cornell). Unfortunately for Knop, Surber has looked really good this year with his only loss to (8) Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 4-3 at CKLV, which he avenged a couple weeks later beating him 4-1 in sudden victory. PREDICTION: Surber wins this one easily, let’s call it 9-2. OSU 24-6.
HWT: (3) Wyatt Hendrickson (11-0) v. (4) Isaac Trumble (11-2): Easily the match of the night, which is saying something, but these two big boys will be a great matchup. Hendrickson has been on a tear going 11-0 with 10 of those ending early by fall, tech fall, or injury default, including a first period pin of Trumble in the finals of CKLV. Captain America’s early season success has put him in the conversation as a dark horse in the Hodge trophy race. Trumble’s only other loss was a pin by (5) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona St.). While I don’t expect another pin here, Hendrickson has been so dominant I don’t see anyone getting close to him until either (1) Gable Steveson (Minnesota) or (2) Greg Kirkvliet (Penn St.) at NCAA’s. PREDICTION: Hendrickson with the major. OSU 28-6.
Note: As they have all year the Pokes Wrestling Club will be hosting a tailgate, on the corner of Miller and Knoblock at 12:00 p.m. Free food and drinks.
UPDATE: Oklahoma State Athletics has noted travel delays could push the start time of the dual until later in the day. Check @CowboyWrestling on X (formerly twitter) or okstate.com for further information.
