Cowboys Back for Another Bout at the Ballpark, This Time Michigan
STILLWATER – The No. 11 Oklahoma State wrestling team (9-2 overall; 5-1 Big 12) returns to Arlington, Texas for a second consecutive season to participate in Bout at the Ballpark against No. 6 Michigan. The Cowboys will take on the Wolverines from Globe Life Field, the home ballpark of the Texas Rangers, at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Oklahoma State has won all six meetings with Michigan ahead of Friday's Bout at the Ballpark dual. Five of the six prior meetings have occurred at a neutral site, mainly being National Duals. The first ever dual between the programs took place in Ann Arbor on Jan. 24, 1972, and was a 35-8 win for the Pokes. John Smith is 2-0 against the Wolverines, which includes a win in the last meeting between the teams in 2004.
Bout at the Ballpark will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, for the second season in a row pitting Oklahoma State against a Big Ten powerhouse. Last season, Oklahoma State and Iowa took its rivalry to Bout at the Ballpark in partnership with a USA Wrestling dual against a lineup of international opponents. The United States men defeated the international team, 44-1, while Team USA's women's team won 14-5. No. 2 Iowa defeated No. 12 Oklahoma State, 23-9. Daton Fix made history at Bout at the Ballpark becoming the first wrestler to represent his country and university on the same day. A 2021 World Silver Medalist, Fix wrestled for Team USA first, defeating Ecuador's Guesseppe Rea by technical fall, before donning the orange singlet and taking down No. 3 Austin DeSanto, 5-3.
Oklahoma State's roster features 10 wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with three holding spots inside the top-10. Senior 133-pounder Daton Fix is the consensus No. 2 wrestler at his weight and is the highest ranked Cowboy as the reigning Big 12 champion and a national finalist the last two seasons. Following Fix, Dustin Plott appears as high as No. 5 at 174 pounds after earning All-America honors for the first time last season with a sixth-place finish. Travis Wittlake makes his return to the top-10 at 157 pounds for the second time in WIN Magazine's poll. Kaden Gfeller is ranked just outside the top 10 at No. 13 in two of the four polls at 157 pounds with a 13-4 record, while Carter Young jumped to No. 14 in the FloWrestling poll at 141 pounds after two ranked wins that earned him Big 12 Wrestler of the Week. The remainder of the Cowboys find themselves ranked in some of the polls and left out of others, although it should be noted that The Open Mat and WIN Magazine only rank the top 20 of each weight class. Victor Voinovich sits at No. 19 in WIN Magazine's 149-pound rankings, while Wyatt Sheets (165) is at No. 24, according to Intermat. Konner Doucet (HWT) remains in the twenties in Intermat's rankings, but is higher ranked by FloWrestling. Luke Surber lands at No. 19 in Intermat's 197-pound rankings with a 13-5 record.
Oklahoma State will come back home to wrestle defending Big 12 champion Missouri on Sunday inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.