Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Little Rock
Cowboys Make Weekend Trip to No. 16 Little Rock
February 06, 2025 | Cowboy Wrestling
The Basics
The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team (12-0 overall; 9-0 Big 12) hits the road to face No. 16 Little Rock on Saturday, February 8, for its penultimate dual of the season. Last time out, the Cowboys thumped then-No. 20 Missouri by a score of 36-3, a performance that moved them up to second in the NWCA Coaches Poll for the first time all year. With just two duals remaining in the regular season, Oklahoma State is looking to secure its first undefeated season since 2021 and the 48th in program history.
On the Air
Saturday's dual is scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT start and will be available for streaming on UFC Fight Pass with Shane Sparks and Justin Jaynes on the call. For fans who don't already own a subscription and want to watch the action, UFC Fight Pass offers a monthly subscription for $2.99 that allows access exclusively to its college wrestling broadcasts. Rex Holt also returns as the voice of Cowboy wrestling to provide live radio coverage, which will be carried on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats and results can be found on trackwrestling.com.
The Series
Little Rock has battled Oklahoma State three times since the program's inaugural season in 2019-20. The two teams met twice during the 2021 regular season that was shortened due to COVID-19 and again in January 2022, all of which went the Cowboys' way by an average margin of 35.3 points. Veterans Carter Young and Luke Surber both secured major decisions as part of OSU's 35-6 win in that 2022 meeting. Saturday marks David Taylor's first dual against the Trojans as a head coach, while Neil Erisman has been at the helm of the Little Rock program for all three of its tries against OSU. A former Cowboy wrestler from 2008-11, Erisman won a 157-pound Big 12 title as a senior and compiled a 92-36 record throughout his career.
About the Cowboys
The 2024 offseason sparked a new era for Oklahoma State as longtime head coach John Smith announced his retirement and wrestling legend David Taylor was hired as the eighth head coach in program history. That momentum has continued to soar into 2025 following OSU's dominant 12-0 run through the dual season and impressive performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Most recently, Oklahoma State crushed then-No. 20 Missouri, 36-3, in a dual that saw five Cowboys pick up bonus points and nine total come away with wins. That dual also had a crowd of 10,740, cementing the program's highest single season attendance average on record (7,597). Although the streak was snapped in late January, OSU began the season by scoring 30+ team points in nine consecutive duals, which sits in a tie for third longest in program history. In addition, Cowboy wrestlers have combined for a 47.5% bonus rate through 295 total matches, a percentage that would be the program's best since 1934. Now ranked second as a team in the NWCA Coaches Poll, the OSU lineup features seven wrestlers ranked in the top eight and a representative at every weight class, giving it all the pieces necessary to contend for a team trophy this upcoming March.
National finalist Dustin Plott is back at 184 pounds to lead perhaps the deepest lineup throughout his time in Stillwater. The three-time All-American owns a 14-2 record this season and beat Oklahoma's DJ Parker back in December to become the 46th wrestler in program history with 100 career victories. He also ranks top 10 among all Cowboy wrestlers with 18 technical falls throughout his career. Newcomers Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson have both made an immediate impact in their first year as Cowboys, currently joining Plott at No. 3 in the rankings. Both wrestlers are undefeated and widely considered two of the biggest bonus-point threats in the entire country, regardless of weight. In the lighter classes, Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison are both ranked near the top at 125 and 141 pounds, respectively. Jamison has won 15 of 18 matches this season, while Spratley boasts three victories over top-five opponents. Altogether, half of Oklahoma State's starting lineup resides in the top five at their respective weight class.
The rest of the Cowboy lineup is balanced out by several proven veterans who have each qualified for the national tournament multiple times. One of the main stories of the year has come at 197 pounds, where Luke Surber's had a bounce-back season and leads the team in wins with an 18-1 record. He sits at No. 7 in the country, just behind sixth-ranked 165-pounder Cameron Amine. Despite breaking into the lineup midway through the year, Caleb Fish also brings a wealth of experience at 157 pounds with 141 career matches to his name.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make OSU 13-0 overall for the second straight year
• Make OSU 10-0 against ranked opponents and 6-0 on the road
• Improve OSU's record against Little Rock to 4-0 and 3-0 away from Stillwater
• Mark OSU's sixth straight dual having beaten a ranked opponent
• Make OSU 22-1 against ranked opponents since the start of last season
• Give OSU 12 straight wins on the road
• Improve OSU's record to 43-4 in its past 47 duals overall
• Make OSU 71-0 all-time against current members of the Pac-12
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Players Mentioned
