PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 24 Rutgers wrestling (8-3, 0-2) returns to Piscataway for weekend matchups with No. 20 Michigan State (7-2, 0-2) on Friday and No. 3 Michigan (7-0, 2-0) on Sunday. Friday's dual against the Spartans is set for a 7 p.m. start, while Sunday's matchup with the Wolverines begins at 2 p.m.
Both matches will stream on Big Ten Plus, with Nick Kosko and Matt Howe on the call. WRSU (88.7 FM) will have the radio broadcast for both duals. Prior to Friday's match, head coach
Scott Goodale will be recognized for his 200
th career win with the program, achieved on November 11, 2022 against Clarion at the College Avenue Gym.
All four home bouts at Jersey Mike's Arena come against ranked opponents this season – No. 1 Penn State (Feb. 12), No. 3 Michigan (Jan. 22), No. 14 Northwestern (Jan. 29) and No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 20). Tickets for those matches can be found
here.
Since their season-opening win over Clarion, the Scarlet Knights have wrestled 10 duals and two tournaments away from campus. Friday night's matchup with Michigan State will be the team's first home event in 70 days. RU last wrestled at Jersey Mike's Arena on Feb. 19, 2022 – a 21-17 win over Columbia.
- The Scarlet Knights dropped a pair of road matches to open Big Ten Conference action in their last time out with losses at No. 7 Ohio State (27-12) and RV Indiana (24-16).
- Fifteen out of 20 possible matchups this weekend, according to opponent probable lineups, between MSU and Michigan will come against a ranked individual.
- This Sunday's matchup with No. 7 Ohio State began a seven-match swing against ranked opponents to close the dual season. RU will have face three top-10 opponents in that span - No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 7 Ohio State.
- Rutgers has seven ranked wrestlers in this weekend's projected lineup, led by No. 11 Dean Peterson (125), No. 14 Brian Soldano (184). No. 17 Joe Heilmann (133) and No. 17 Joseph Olivieri (141). The quartet is a combined 27-4 in duals this season.
- Soldano is 10-1 in dual action during his first collegiate season, which includes eight wins by bonus and four falls.
- Olivieri was pulled out of redshirt for the second consecutive season when he wrestled this past weekend at Indiana & Ohio State. Olivieri made an immediate impact with a 2-1 win over No. 16 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) and a 15-2 MD over Cayden Rooks (IU).
125: 11/12
Dean Peterson (17-4)
133: 17/14
Joe Heilmann (18-4)
141: 17/HM
Joseph Olivieri (10-2)
149: NR/HM Anthony White (10-6)
157: NR/24
Andrew Clark (16-8)
165:
Connor O'Neill (9-11) -OR-
Robert Kanniard (3-2)
174:
Jackson Turley (6-5)
184: 13/16
Brian Soldano (16-4)
197:
Billy Janzer (3-7)
HWT: 24/22
Boone McDermott (12-2) -OR-
John O'Donnell (6-5)
Rankings Intermat/FloWrestling
125: 24/24 Tristan Lujan (14-3)
-OR- Benny Gomez (7-5)
133: 16/17 Rayvon Foley (10-3)
141: Jordan Hamdan (19-6)
149: Peyton Omania (12-6)
-OR- Braden Stauffenberg (10-4)
157: 15/17 Chase Saldate (15-4)
165: 25/HM Caleb Fish (19-4)
-OR- Miles Hoey (6-6)
174: Ceasar Garza (12-5)
184: 15/14 Layne Malczewski (15-3)
197: 14/21 Cameron Caffey (13-1)
HWT: Ryan Vasbinder (13-8)
-OR- Josh Terrill (10-4)
Rankings Intermat/FloWrestling
125: 23/23 Jack Medley (14-5)
133: 12/10 Dylan Ragusin (10-3)
141: 23/22 Cole Mattin (12-3)
149: 21/16 Chance Lamer (10-3) -OR- Fidel Mayora (0-0)
157: 10/6 Will Lewan (10-3)
165: 5/5 Cameron Amine (7-1)
174: 30/NR Max Maylor (13-3) -OR- Joseph Walker (5-3)
184: 9/10 Matt Finesilver (14-3)
197: Brendin Yatooma (4-7)
HWT: 2/2 Mason Parris (17-0)
Rankings Intermat/FloWrestling
- Rutgers leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 5-1-1.
- The Spartans won the last meeting – a 20-17 victory over the Scarlet Knights on Jan. 21, 2022 in East Lansing.
- Michigan leads the all-time series with Rutgers, 7-0.
- The Wolverines won the last meeting – a 32-8 victory over the Scarlet Knights on Jan. 23, 2022 in Ann Arbor.
- Rutgers hosts No. 14 Northwestern on Sunday, January 29. The dual is set for a national broadcast with a 4 p.m. start on Big Ten Network.
