ASU wrestling will play host to CS Bakersfield in a Pac-10 showdown inside Wells Fargo Arena on Friday night, one of the Sun Devils’ two remaining home duals.
The meet will serve as a tough test for the Sun Devils (5-7, 1-0 Pac-10), who will forfeit two matches and give the Roadrunners (2-3, 1-2 Pac-10) a 12-point advantage right off the bat.
“Taking over the program last year, we brought in a big recruiting class, but right now we don’t have a lot of upperclassmen,” ASU coach Shawn Charles said. “We’re in a situation now (due to injury of several starters) where we either have to bring some young men out of redshirt, who might not be ready to compete, or forfeit a weight class.”
Charles has elected to do the latter, and on Friday night ASU will forfeit the 157 and 174 weight classes due to injuries to junior Eric Starks and redshirt senior Bubba Jenkins, who both had arthroscopic surgery on the meniscus this week.
Both are expected back on the mat by the Pac-10 Championships.
“As a coaching staff, it’s a hard decision knowing going into a match we are going to be down so many points,” Charles said. “But we know that in the long run it’s going to be the best thing for our program.”
ASU still remains confident they can come out and win the dual despite the points it will be giving up because of the forfeits.
“I feel like if we wrestle pretty good as a team overall, we could win if we don’t give up bonus points,” junior Jake Meredith said.
The Roadrunners will not be underestimated by ASU, especially by ASU redshirt sophomore heavyweight Levi Cooper, who transferred to Tempe from Bakersfield last year.
“I know all those guys,” Cooper said. “This was one of the first matches I circled when I got the schedule, so I’m real excited to wrestle them.”
Charles also spoke highly of the Roadrunner wrestlers.
“Cal Bakersfield is going to be tough,” Charles said. “They’ve got scrappy kids, but all it’s going to take for us (to win) is for one guy to step up and do the things we’ve been coaching them to do all season long.”
The Sun Devils also hope to carry momentum from the Lone Star Duals last weekend, where four wrestlers posted an undefeated mark.
“I feel good about where I’m at,” Cooper said, who has gone 11-2 since Dec. 19th. “I’m very excited for this dual and for the Pac-10 tournament.”
Cooper also won an individual title at the Reno Tournament of Champions and recorded a 4-0 record in Texas last week.
While ASU will head into the Bakersfield dual with every intention of coming away with the victory, winning on Friday night is not necessarily the most important thing in terms of the long-term scope of the season.
“Our whole season is based around Pac-10s and nationals,” Charles said. “All this other stuff is practice, and as a coaching staff it’s all about getting kids to the national tournament. You have to look ahead. You can’t just look for the short-term gains.”
ASU’s next match will be the final home dual of the season when they host No. 24 Cal Poly on Jan. 30 inside Wells Fargo Arena.
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu.
