Daton Fix Set for Double Duty at Bout at the Ballpark
STILLWATER – On the surface it doesn’t look good for the Cowboys as they head to Arlington, Texas and Globe Life Field for the one of a kind Bout at the Ballpark with the Cowboys portion of the wrestling doubleheader being a renewal of one of sports’ greatest rivalries Oklahoma State vs. Iowa wrestling. Oklahoma State leads the storied wrestling series between the two greatest programs in the history of the sport 29-23-2. John Smith is 18-12-1 vs. Iowa and Hawkeyes head coach Tom Brands is 7-7-1 vs, Oklahoma State.
This edition finds the Cowboys missing at least one starter in 197-pound top-ranked and defending national champion A.J. Ferrari. No. 7-ranked 125-pound Trevor Mastrogiovanni is probable for the dual coming off an ankle injury a week ago. Iowa is clearly favored in six of the weights and Oklahoma State would be favored in two of the matches with two being toss ups.
| No. 12 | Oklahoma State | No. 2 | University of Iowa |
| 125 | No. 7 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (12-1) or Cooper Bridwell (8-2) | Never Met | No. 12 Drake Ayala (13-4) or Jesse Ybarra (5-4) |
| 133 | No. 2 Daton Fix (14-0) | Fix leads 2-0 | No. 3 Austin DeSanto (13-1) or Cullan Schriever (15-5) |
| 141 | No. 21 Carter Young (8-4) | Never Met | No. 2 Jaydin Eierman (13-1) |
| 149 | No. 13 Kaden Gfeller (12-1) | Never Met | No. 10 Max Murin (7-2) |
| 157 | No. 18 Wyatt Sheets (10-4) | Young leads 2-1 | No. 12 Kaleb Young (12-5) |
| 165 | No. 8 Travis Wittlake (9-3) | Marrinelli leads 1-0 | No. 5 Alex Marinelli (16-1) |
| 174 | No. 10 Dustin Plott (11-2) | Never Met | No. 2 Michael Kemerer (6-1) |
| 184 | No. 11 Dakota Geer (11-3) | Never Met | No. 15 Abe Assad (10-4) |
| 197 | Gavin Stika (12-6) | Never Met | No. 4 Jacob Warner (12-2) |
| Hwt. | No. 31 Luke Surber (8-6) | Cassioppi leads 1-0 | No. 4 Tony Cassioppi (11-2) |
STILLWATER – On the surface it doesn’t look good for the Cowboys as they head to Arlington, Texas and Globe Life Field for the one of a kind Bout at the Ballpark with the Cowboys portion of the wrestling doubleheader being a renewal of one of sports’ greatest rivalries Oklahoma State vs. Iowa wrestling. Oklahoma State leads the storied wrestling series between the two greatest programs in the history of the sport 29-23-2. John Smith is 18-12-1 vs. Iowa and Hawkeyes head coach Tom Brands is 7-7-1 vs, Oklahoma State.
This edition finds the Cowboys missing at least one starter in 197-pound top-ranked and defending national champion A.J. Ferrari. No. 7-ranked 125-pound Trevor Mastrogiovanni is probable for the dual coming off an ankle injury a week ago. Iowa is clearly favored in six of the weights and Oklahoma State would be favored in two of the matches with two being toss ups.
Daton Fix has confirmed now that he will pull a double on Saturday night and wrestle for Team USA in the preliminary event as the USA Olympians go against an International All-Star team. It’s a hardship as Fix will have to be at 57 kg for the freestyle weigh in. That weight is translated to 125.666-pounds meaning an hour after his international match he will weigh in for the collegiate dual at 133-pounds. No way he can get his weight up and wrestle, so he will give up some pounds to Iowa’s Austin DeSanto.
“It’ll be like getting a blow in or a warm-up match before my main focus of the weekend,” Fix said. “Obviously, my main focus is beating the University of Iowa.”
“He’s just one of those guys that doesn’t worry about a whole lot,” his head coach for Oklahoma State John Smith said. “He’s just let’s do it, no excuses. He was willing to wrestle the Iranian (Iran was originally scheduled to wrestle Team USA). Really good attitude. I wished we had more like him.”
The change in styles is not an issue.
“Difference in the two styles, but I’ve always preferred freestyle, so it is easier for me to transition back to freestyle,” Fix said nonchalantly.
The top issue is Iowa and Fix is 2-0 vs. DeSanto and he is 1-0 in dual competition vs. Iowa. The magnitude of the Cowboys and Hawkeyes wrestling is not lost on Fix. He has been spreading the word in the wrestling room this week.
“It’s the biggest rivalry in all of sports, two really historic programs, I have conversations with individuals that it is time to go,” Fix said. “We may be coming into this a little short-handed, but there is no doubt in my mind that we can win the dual.”
Maybe, they will need every point Fix and his teammates can find out there around second base. Pun fully intended, the Cowboys will need a lot of doubles and maybe a few home runs.