Okie State comes to Oakland this coming Friday for a matchup with our Panthers. Oklahoma State just had a huge win over NC State last night, 22-12 on points and 7-3 in matches. This will be a tough challenge, but also an opportunity to make a statement win.
Oklahoma State at the FITZ! Friday the 12th @ 7pm
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PREVIEW:
OKST seems to rounding into top form with their entire lineup being ranked and the big win over NC State fresh in their minds. Pitt will need to take advantage of the home crowd and win some very close matches to pull it off. Hope that we can get a great crowd for this dual and a panthers win.
125: #28 Camacho vs #19 Spratley
This will likely begin the dual and if it does it could be a tone-setter for the entire dual. Spratley just beat NC State's Camacho in a rather dominant 7-3 decision. His best win on the season is handing Lehigh's Luke Stanich, who Camacho lost to in a close one, his only loss on the year. Spratley is 5-0 against common opponents while Camacho is 1-4. Despite their rankings not being that far off, having watched Spratley this season it looks like he is constantly jumping levels and pushing the offensive pace which I could see giving Macho and his new hairstyle some trouble. OKST Favored
133: #18 Vin vs #3 Fix
Fix is OKST best wrestler and a very tough task for Vin. He just majored NC State's Orine in a very one sided match and looks to be wrestling his best. Vin would need to shock the world to pull it off. However, Fix has only wrestled 3 matches all season and apparently is slowly making his descent down to 57KG. Now who knows how true that is but that means there is a chance he is outsized by Vin or chooses to not compete for weight descent reasons. If Fix does not go I would expect to see Reece Witcraft, who should give Vinnie a tough match but I would favor our guy. But I expect to see Daton. OKST Favored.
141: #27 Matthews vs # 8 Jamison
Jamison just dropped a last second decision to Ryan Jack from NCST in his first match off of injury. His only other two losses this season came to Lachlan McNeil and Brock Hardy at CKLV. He would avenge his loss to Hardy with a Major Decision victory in the rematch. He also MD Cornella who beat Cole 8-2. If we see Cole suddenly return to his best I would expect it to be a close match, but the version of Cole we have seen so far in 2023-2024 I don't think will get it done. OKST Favored.
149: #26 Solomon vs #21 Williams
This is one of the more interesting matches of the dual. Two red-shirt freshman ranked at a similar level in the country squaring off. Williams is an uber-talented wrestler who was a top recruit but has had a very up and down career so far. He is coming off a 10-0 MD loss to NC State's Arrington (Finn's old teammate). His best win on the season is Wyoming's Willochell, but he has a strange loss to Hofstra's Tapia from CKLV. Williams has held down the starting spot all season and beaten all teammates challenging him, but if he is not the starter at this dual I would expect to see Sammy Alvarez. Alvarez has not had a great start to the year but has been ranked very high in the country before. Either way I would say this is a close match. Toss Up.
157: NR Keslar vs #20 Travis
Travis started the year at 149, with his only loss on the season coming to teammate Williams. He is 4-0 up at 157 and coming fresh off a win against NCST's Ed Scott. I would expect Travis to continue this momentum and come out on top. I could maybe see Evans getting a look coming off his performance at the F&M Open, but either way Travis is the favored wrestler. OKST Favored.
First Half: Pitt Favor: 0 OKST Favor: 4 Toss Up:1
Not an ideal set up matchups to start off the dual. Pitt will need an upset, likely at 25 or 41, to really keep this dual in a manageable position going into the second half.
165: #8 Heller vs #2 Olejnik
Real tough matchup for Holden here. Olejnik looks to have jumped levels since transferring to OKST. He is 2-0 against Holden in his career, including knocking him out of NCAA's last season. That match Olejnik was winning when Heller INJ DEF out of the match. Olejnik is undefeated this season with wins over Hamiti (unofficial), Amine and Ramirez. He is often in low scoring matches so this could come down to Heller securing a big taken to get the upset. OKST Favored
174: #15 Augustine vs #28 Thompson
This is a very interesting measuring stick for Augustine, who in my opinion, looks like a genuine AA contender in a very weak 174lb weight class. Thompson is a true frosh and a top tier recruit (Number 5 on MatScouts Board). Thompson started his collegiate career very poorly, going 0-3 including an injury default. However, since CKLV where he went 0-2 he has rattled off 4 straight wins. The most impressive are NC State's Faison (who Luca was 0-2 against last year) and Oklahoma's Tate Picklo. Thompson seems to be rounding into form as a top prospect and is definitely a force to be reckoned with, however the Luca that we have seen so far this season just looks like a pure winner to me and I think we be able to pull this one off. Pitt Favored.
184: #12 Heller vs #2 Plott
Another challenging matchup for a Heller brother. Plott is a returning AA at 174, who has looked great up at 184. His only loss on the season is to Lenny Pinto at CKLV, which he avenged in the wrestle-offs. He just defeated NCST's Fishback in a crazy 13-8 match (the scores of his Pinto matches were 12-10 L and 11-7 W) so he is not immune to getting into shootouts. That gives me some hope that Reece can get into some repeated exchanges and come out on top similar to the Feldkamp match. However I would expect Plott to be able to stay controlled and not get into the 50/50 positions that Heller lives and dies in. OKST Favored
197: #15 Stout vs #11 Surber
This match is intriguing at face value, but a deeper look makes it even more important to circle as Surber as yet to compete since the CKLV where he got injured and MFF out. It has been understood that he is close to a return but there is no way to know for sure if he is going till the match happens. Operating under the assumption that he is going to wrestle this is a huge test for Stout. The two have some similar results against common opponents and are both in the bloodline tier currently at 197. A win for either guy could be important to cement their rankings and for seeding criteria. If Surber goes I would definitely consider it a toss up where Mac would look to use the fact that he is fresher. Toss Up. In Surber's absence OKST has wrestled Kyle Haas and Jersey Robb at 197. I would count Stout as a definitive favorite over Robb. Haas is interesting as he picked up a solid ranked win over Nick Stemmet from Stanford at the Southern Scuffle. However, considering his overall body of work I would still consider Mac the favorite to get the win. But under the assumption that Surber makes his return. Toss Up.
285: #9 Pitzer vs #11 Doucet
This is a match that hopefully closes off the dual. If Pitt is able to get the job done at some key spots it could end up being the decider. Doucet is a returning NCAA Qualifier who is off to a 8-2 start to the season. His notable matches are a TB win over Oklahoma's Heindselman, a 2-1 decision over NC State's Trephan and a 4-3 loss to Lehigh's Taylor. If not made obvious by these results, Doucet has a reputation for being in low scoring and sometimes boring matches. However, he is a very good wrestler who often gets the job done. Pitzer has been in a fair number of low-scoring matches as well during his career, so I could definitely see this match coming down to the mat and who can get escapes/ secure riding time. If Dayton is able to get an offensive takedown I would feel very confident that he could hold on for the victory but securing such TD is easier said than done. Toss Up.
Second Half: 1 Pitt Favored, 2 Toss Up, 2 OKST Favored.
Overall: 1 Pitt Favored, 3 Toss Up, 6 OKST Favored.
Obviously a victory is an uphill battle for the Panthers, but I do think it is not impossible, with some combination of bonus points and an upset or two (similar to tOSU match). This OKST team looks to be in very good form at the moment, and to be constantly looking for ways to score. If Pitt is able to consistently defend these attempts and counter with takedowns of their own it could present an opportunity for another major upset. At the very least it should be a great night of wrestling, especially live at the Fitz, where our Panthers could pick up some major wins.
OKST seems to rounding into top form with their entire lineup being ranked and the big win over NC State fresh in their minds. Pitt will need to take advantage of the home crowd and win some very close matches to pull it off. Hope that we can get a great crowd for this dual and a panthers win.
125: #28 Camacho vs #19 Spratley
This will likely begin the dual and if it does it could be a tone-setter for the entire dual. Spratley just beat NC State's Camacho in a rather dominant 7-3 decision. His best win on the season is handing Lehigh's Luke Stanich, who Camacho lost to in a close one, his only loss on the year. Spratley is 5-0 against common opponents while Camacho is 1-4. Despite their rankings not being that far off, having watched Spratley this season it looks like he is constantly jumping levels and pushing the offensive pace which I could see giving Macho and his new hairstyle some trouble. OKST Favored
133: #18 Vin vs #3 Fix
Fix is OKST best wrestler and a very tough task for Vin. He just majored NC State's Orine in a very one sided match and looks to be wrestling his best. Vin would need to shock the world to pull it off. However, Fix has only wrestled 3 matches all season and apparently is slowly making his descent down to 57KG. Now who knows how true that is but that means there is a chance he is outsized by Vin or chooses to not compete for weight descent reasons. If Fix does not go I would expect to see Reece Witcraft, who should give Vinnie a tough match but I would favor our guy. But I expect to see Daton. OKST Favored.
141: #27 Matthews vs # 8 Jamison
Jamison just dropped a last second decision to Ryan Jack from NCST in his first match off of injury. His only other two losses this season came to Lachlan McNeil and Brock Hardy at CKLV. He would avenge his loss to Hardy with a Major Decision victory in the rematch. He also MD Cornella who beat Cole 8-2. If we see Cole suddenly return to his best I would expect it to be a close match, but the version of Cole we have seen so far in 2023-2024 I don't think will get it done. OKST Favored.
149: #26 Solomon vs #21 Williams
This is one of the more interesting matches of the dual. Two red-shirt freshman ranked at a similar level in the country squaring off. Williams is an uber-talented wrestler who was a top recruit but has had a very up and down career so far. He is coming off a 10-0 MD loss to NC State's Arrington (Finn's old teammate). His best win on the season is Wyoming's Willochell, but he has a strange loss to Hofstra's Tapia from CKLV. Williams has held down the starting spot all season and beaten all teammates challenging him, but if he is not the starter at this dual I would expect to see Sammy Alvarez. Alvarez has not had a great start to the year but has been ranked very high in the country before. Either way I would say this is a close match. Toss Up.
157: NR Keslar vs #20 Travis
Travis started the year at 149, with his only loss on the season coming to teammate Williams. He is 4-0 up at 157 and coming fresh off a win against NCST's Ed Scott. I would expect Travis to continue this momentum and come out on top. I could maybe see Evans getting a look coming off his performance at the F&M Open, but either way Travis is the favored wrestler. OKST Favored.
First Half: Pitt Favor: 0 OKST Favor: 4 Toss Up:1
Not an ideal set up matchups to start off the dual. Pitt will need an upset, likely at 25 or 41, to really keep this dual in a manageable position going into the second half.
165: #8 Heller vs #2 Olejnik
Real tough matchup for Holden here. Olejnik looks to have jumped levels since transferring to OKST. He is 2-0 against Holden in his career, including knocking him out of NCAA's last season. That match Olejnik was winning when Heller INJ DEF out of the match. Olejnik is undefeated this season with wins over Hamiti (unofficial), Amine and Ramirez. He is often in low scoring matches so this could come down to Heller securing a big taken to get the upset. OKST Favored
174: #15 Augustine vs #28 Thompson
This is a very interesting measuring stick for Augustine, who in my opinion, looks like a genuine AA contender in a very weak 174lb weight class. Thompson is a true frosh and a top tier recruit (Number 5 on MatScouts Board). Thompson started his collegiate career very poorly, going 0-3 including an injury default. However, since CKLV where he went 0-2 he has rattled off 4 straight wins. The most impressive are NC State's Faison (who Luca was 0-2 against last year) and Oklahoma's Tate Picklo. Thompson seems to be rounding into form as a top prospect and is definitely a force to be reckoned with, however the Luca that we have seen so far this season just looks like a pure winner to me and I think we be able to pull this one off. Pitt Favored.
184: #12 Heller vs #2 Plott
Another challenging matchup for a Heller brother. Plott is a returning AA at 174, who has looked great up at 184. His only loss on the season is to Lenny Pinto at CKLV, which he avenged in the wrestle-offs. He just defeated NCST's Fishback in a crazy 13-8 match (the scores of his Pinto matches were 12-10 L and 11-7 W) so he is not immune to getting into shootouts. That gives me some hope that Reece can get into some repeated exchanges and come out on top similar to the Feldkamp match. However I would expect Plott to be able to stay controlled and not get into the 50/50 positions that Heller lives and dies in. OKST Favored
197: #15 Stout vs #11 Surber
This match is intriguing at face value, but a deeper look makes it even more important to circle as Surber as yet to compete since the CKLV where he got injured and MFF out. It has been understood that he is close to a return but there is no way to know for sure if he is going till the match happens. Operating under the assumption that he is going to wrestle this is a huge test for Stout. The two have some similar results against common opponents and are both in the bloodline tier currently at 197. A win for either guy could be important to cement their rankings and for seeding criteria. If Surber goes I would definitely consider it a toss up where Mac would look to use the fact that he is fresher. Toss Up. In Surber's absence OKST has wrestled Kyle Haas and Jersey Robb at 197. I would count Stout as a definitive favorite over Robb. Haas is interesting as he picked up a solid ranked win over Nick Stemmet from Stanford at the Southern Scuffle. However, considering his overall body of work I would still consider Mac the favorite to get the win. But under the assumption that Surber makes his return. Toss Up.
285: #9 Pitzer vs #11 Doucet
This is a match that hopefully closes off the dual. If Pitt is able to get the job done at some key spots it could end up being the decider. Doucet is a returning NCAA Qualifier who is off to a 8-2 start to the season. His notable matches are a TB win over Oklahoma's Heindselman, a 2-1 decision over NC State's Trephan and a 4-3 loss to Lehigh's Taylor. If not made obvious by these results, Doucet has a reputation for being in low scoring and sometimes boring matches. However, he is a very good wrestler who often gets the job done. Pitzer has been in a fair number of low-scoring matches as well during his career, so I could definitely see this match coming down to the mat and who can get escapes/ secure riding time. If Dayton is able to get an offensive takedown I would feel very confident that he could hold on for the victory but securing such TD is easier said than done. Toss Up.
Second Half: 1 Pitt Favored, 2 Toss Up, 2 OKST Favored.
Overall: 1 Pitt Favored, 3 Toss Up, 6 OKST Favored.
Obviously a victory is an uphill battle for the Panthers, but I do think it is not impossible, with some combination of bonus points and an upset or two (similar to tOSU match). This OKST team looks to be in very good form at the moment, and to be constantly looking for ways to score. If Pitt is able to consistently defend these attempts and counter with takedowns of their own it could present an opportunity for another major upset. At the very least it should be a great night of wrestling, especially live at the Fitz, where our Panthers could pick up some major wins.
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Blue Gold as well which is one of my favorite. I don’t like to miss but who’s counting. Ha ha
