BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—No. 25 CSU Bakersfield closes out the regular season this weekend with a pair of Pac-12 duals.
The weekend begins Friday at 7 p.m. when the 'Runners host Boise State. CSU Bakersfield and Boise State are wrestling for the 19th time with the Broncos leading the all-time series 11-7. The Broncos defeated the Roadrunners 24-9 last season in Boise.
The Broncos are 3-5, 1-0 in Pac-12 duals coming into this week. Boise State is at Stanford on Thursday before traveling to CSUB on Friday. The Broncos will then head to Cal Poly on Sunday to complete the regular season. Geo Martinez is nationally ranked at 149 pounds. He is six national polls with a best of 10th coming in the Open Mat rankings. and leads the team in victories with 21 (21-5).
The season concludes Sunday when the Roadrunners host Arizona State at 2 p.m. This will be the 37th time CSUB and Arizona State are wrestling each other. The Sun Devils lead the all-time series 24-11-1 and have won four in a row in the series. ASU is 10-7, 1-2 in Pac-12 action at the start of the week. Arizona State will wrestle at Cal Poly on Saturday before heading to Bakersfield.
The 197-pound bout between CSUB and ASU will feature the top two wrestlers in the Pac-12 in the Sun Devils' Josh DaSilveira (1) and the 'Runners Reuben Franklin (2). The two met in the first round of the Midlands Championships Dec. 28 where DaSilverira came away with a 9-7 victory.
Blake Stauffer leads three nationally ranked Sun Devil competitors. Stauffer, 17-4 at 184, is ranked in six national polls with a high of fourth in the Open Mat ratings. Matt Kraus is in six polls at 149 pounds. His highest ranking is 10th in the Open Mat poll. Heavyweight Tanner Hall is also in six national polls with a best of 10th in the Flo Wrestling Top 20. In addition to DaSilveira, the Sun Devils have the top ranked wrestler in the Pac-12 at 133 (Dalton Brady), 149 (Kraus), and 184 (Stauffer).
The Pac-12 Conference announced on Feb. 9 that Bryce Hammond of CSU Bakersfield was named the Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week for competition Feb. 1-7.
Hammond's pin proved to be the difference as CSU Bakersfield defeated Oregon State 21-20 Feb. 6. Hammond, ranked seventh in the current Intermat poll needed only 2:16 to stick Tyler Chay. With the score tied at 20 after 10 matches, Hammond's six-point victory was the first criteria used to break the tie and give CSUB the victory.
The victory for the Roadrunners was the first by CSUB in the series since Jan. 18, 2008 when the 'Runners defeated the Beavers 21-19. The win was the first by CSUB in the city of Bakersfield since Dec. 12, 1998 when the Roadrunners defeated Oregon State 22-16.
CSU Bakersfield (10-3) has entered two national team polls this week. The Roadrunners have entered the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll at No. 25 and are the lone Pac-12 representative. This poll is for dual meet rankings and is the first time since Dec. 15, 2004 (No. 22) that CSUB has appeared in the poll.
The 'Runners are ranked in both of Intermat's polls. In the Intermat tournament top 25 which projects the final finish at the national championships, CSUB is tied for 24th (14) with Central Michigan. In Intermat's dual rankings, the Roadrunners are No. 25.
Redshirt senior Reuben Franklin leads CSUB in victories this season. Franklin is 27-5. He has now won 20 of his 27 matches by major, tech fall, or by pin fall. Franklin is 12-1 in duals, scoring 59 points in 13 matches. He enters the upcoming week having won eight-straight matches and 12 of his last 13.
Three CSUB wrestlers, Ian Nickell, Hammond, and Adam Fierro have a chance 100 career victories. Nickell is 17th in school history in career victories with 94. Nickell is 94-41 in his career. Hammond has won 86 career matches (86-34), tying him for the 25th in school history with Darryl Pope (86, 1985-87). Fierro is tied with two other wrestlers for 29th in school history with 79 career victories.
~www.GoRunners.com~
