Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - The 10th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad will welcome fourth-ranked Ohio State University Sunday afternoon for a top-10 battle inside Cassell Coliseum. The match, which is free for all, will start at 2 p.m. Tech will be looking to break its all-time attendance mark of 3,378 fans that it had for its 2011 match with the University of Virginia – a match the Hokies won by a count of 20-12.
The Buckeyes have owned the series against the Hokies on the mat, winning 13 of the 14 duals. OSU downed Tech last year, 23-16, in Columbus. Ohio State will be the highest ranked wrestling squad to come to Cassell Coliseum for a dual meet since No. 2 Iowa State wrestled in Blacksburg in 2007.
Ohio State could send as many as nine ranked wrestlers out to the mat, including No. 1 and defending national champion Logan Stieber at 141 pounds. Stieber defeated Tech’s Devin Carter in last year’s national final, but Carter is wrestling at 149 pounds for a few more weeks. Seven of OSU’s 10 probable starters are ranked in the top 10 nationally at their weight class. Tech will counter with five ranked wrestlers of its own.
Three matches could feature a pair of ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Joey Dance (VT) against No. 10 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) at 125 pounds; No. 19 Kevin Norstrem (VT) against No. 8 Johnni DiJulius (OSU) at 133 pounds; No. 2 Carter (VT) against No. 4 Hunter Stieber (OSU) at 149 pounds; No. 11 Zach Epperly (VT) against No. 13 Mark Martin (OSU) at 174 pounds’; and No. 10 Ty Walz (VT) against No. 11 Nick Tavanello (OSU) at heavyweight.
This will be the second top-10 wrestling matchup in Cassell Coliseum history and just the third in any sport in the arena. The 10th-ranked Tech men’s basketball team hosted No. 1 UMass in 1996. The eighth-ranked Hokies downed No. 9 Edinboro last year in wrestling.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com with Danny Nokes and Dan Gable on the call with C.J. Fiala on the sidelines. Gable, a 1972 Olympic gold medalist, a three-time American and three-time NCAA Coach of the Year who led Iowa to 15 NCAA national team titles with a record of 355-21-5, will be in town for a clinic to speak to the Hokie Mat Club Saturday night in the Bowman Room. That event is open to the public, but costs $10. Mat Club members are admitted for free and the cost is included for those participating in the clinic.
Live stats will be available at this link.
The first 200 fans will receive Virginia Tech fleece gloves. Fans are also encouraged to bring a canned food item for donation to a local food bank. All middle school, high school and club teams are invited to attend the match including a special program prior to the match with the Virginia Tech coaches.
Below are the probable lineups for both squads, as submitted by the respective coaching staffs:
#12 Virginia Tech (3-0)
125: #5/#4 Joey Dance (3-0)
133: #19/NR Kevin Norstrem (3-0)
141: Jerry Ronnau (1-1)
149: #2/#7 Devin Carter (3-0)
157: Sal Mastriani (6-0)
165: Chris Moon (0-1) OR Chad Strube (4-1)
174: #11/#6 Zach Epperly (3-0)
184: Austin Gabel (2-1)
197: Jared Haught (3-0)
285: #10/#10 Ty Walz (3-0)
#4 Ohio State (3-0)
125: #10/#11 Nathan Tomasello (7-0)
133: #8/#10 Johnni DiJulius (7-0)
141: #1/#1 Logan Stieber (3-0)
149: #4/#3 Hunter Stieber (0-0) or Randy Languis (4-2)
157: #7/#6 Josh Demas (6-0)
165: Justin Kresevic (8-5)
174: #13/#13 Mark Martin (6-2)
184: #7/#6 Kenny Courts (7-0)
197: #7/#9 Kyle Snyder (6-0)
285: #11/#14 Nick Tavanello (7-1)
rankings taken from InterMat/TheOpenMat.com