Cowboys Travel to Texas for Bout at the Ballpark

Bout at the Ballpark Notes

STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team will take on its highest-ranked opponent so far this season when they face No. 2 Iowa at Globe Life Field on Saturday night. In the first event of its kind, the Cowboys and Hawkeyes will wrestle after the United States men's and women's freestyle team take on international competition. The international matches are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT, with the college dual slated for an 8 p.m. start.

Dual Details
Date/Times: vs. No. 2 Iowa – Feb. 12, 2022/ 8 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
Watch: FloWrestling.org
Listen: Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com

The Basics
The No. 12 Oklahoma State wrestling team (11-3 overall; 5-3 Big 12) resumes its rivalry with Iowa as the Cowboys and second-ranked Hawkeyes will square off in the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field for Bout at the Ballpark. The international match featuring OSU's Daton Fix who is representing the United States will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the collegiate match at 8 p.m.

The Series – Iowa
The Cowboy/Hawkeye rivalry dates back to 1954, in a dual Oklahoma State won on the road, 24-8. Saturday's dual marks the 55^th meeting between the storied programs and the first to take place at a neutral site since 2007. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting in 2020, 34-6, on their home mat, but the Pokes lead the all-time series 29-23-2. John Smith is the winningest coach on either side of the rivalry with an 18-12-1 record against the Hawkeyes. The Cowboys own the longest winning streak in the series with nine consecutive victories from 2000 to 2008. Iowa's longest streak came from 1977 to 1982 with six straight wins. Iowa and Oklahoma State are two of the most prolific programs in NCAA wrestling combining for 58 NCAA team titles throughout history.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Move the Cowboys to 12-3 overall; 8-1 away from Gallagher-Iba Arena
• Improve OSU's record to 30-23-2 in the series
• Make John Smith's record 19-12-1 against the Hawkeyes
• Mark OSU's highest ranked win since defeating No. 1 Minnesota, 22-15 on Dec. 2, 2012

History in the Making
The Cowboys and Hawkeyes will resume their rivalry in a unique way after the teams did not meet last season due to COVID-19. The two most successful teams in college wrestling history will meet at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in an event that is the first of its kind. Oklahoma State and Iowa will wrestle following the U.S. men's and women's senior level freestyle teams who will face international competition beginning at 6 p.m. It is the first time a senior level international match and college match will operate in this format. OSU 133-pounder Daton Fix will make history of his own on Saturday. Fix will be the first person to wrestle for both his college and country in the same day. With the senior level match occurring first, Fix will represent the United States in a freestyle match at 61 kg against Giusseppe Rea of Ecuador at approximately 6:15 p.m. CT. A few hours later, Fix will return to the mat donning the orange singlet to face No. 3 Austin DeSanto at 133 pounds for OSU.

Cowboys in the Polls
Oklahoma State's roster features 10 wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with six holding spots inside the top-10. Sophomore 197-pounder AJ Ferrari is the consensus No. 1 wrestler at his weight and is the highest ranked Cowboy, after winning his first individual title at the NCAA Championships in March. Following Ferrari, Daton Fix appears at No. 2 at 133 pounds as the reigning Big 12 champion and national finalist. Also making appearances in the top 10 of their respective weight classes are All-Americans Travis Wittlake and Dakota Geer. Geer is as high as No. 9 at 184 pounds in the FloWrestling rankings, while Wittlake is ranked No. 8 at 165 pounds by the majority of the polls. 125-pounder Trevor Mastrogiovanni holds down the No. 7 spot, according to Intermat. An 11-2 start to the season with six wins over ranked opponents has Dustin Plott (174) into the top-10 in the Intermat poll. Wyatt Sheets is ranked No. 14 at 157 pounds by WIN Magazine, while Kaden Gfeller lands as high as No. 13 in Intermat's 149-pound rankings. True freshman Carter Young climbed to No. 17 this week in the FloWrestling poll. Heavyweight Luke Surber jumped two spots in the Intermat poll where he is ranked No. 31 following his first career ranked win over No. 22 A.J. Nevills.

Tune In
Bout at the Ballpark will be streamed on FloWrestling Saturday night with Christian Pyles and Mark Bader on the call. It can be heard on the radio beginning at 7:30 p.m. with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats can be found on Trackwrestling.com.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

AJ Ferrari

Daton Fix

Dakota Geer

Kaden Gfeller

Trevor Mastrogiovanni

Dustin Plott

Wyatt Sheets

Luke Surber

Travis Wittlake

Carter Young

Oklahoma State University Athletics