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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio wrestling team opens up the 2021 season with a visit to Upstate New York for a Mid-American Conference matchup against Buffalo on Saturday (January 2). Action is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. ET at Alumni Arena. The dual will be streamed live on YouTube.
The Bobcats begin their 102nd year of competition and 24th under the direction of head coach Joel Greenlee. Ohio has gone 231-171-5 in the previous 23 seasons under Greenlee's watch, and the program has logged 12 All-America honors, won two team conference titles and accounted for 20 individual conference titles during his tenure.
Ohio is coming off a 9-8 2019-20 regular season that included a 5-4 mark in MAC duals. The Bobcats placed eighth at the 2020 MAC Championships with 58.5 points.
The Bobcats return two of their four qualifiers for the 2020 NCAA Championships to the 2021 roster, including redshirt sophomore Jordan Earnest (Pataskala, Ohio) who is penciled in as one of two probable starters at 285 pounds for Saturday's dual against the Bulls. Earnest, who went 23-11 a year ago, punched his ticket to nationals for the first time in his career courtesy of a third-place finish at the MAC Championships.
Ohio welcomes two key performers who missed all or most of the 2019-20 campaign back to its lineup this season. Redshirt senior Mario Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio) is listed as one of two probable starters at 133 pounds while redshirt sophomore Colt Yinger (Nelsonville, Ohio) is one of two probable starters at 165 pounds. Guillen recorded career highs in wins (17), majors (4) and falls (2) in 2018-19 and qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time. Yinger finished his 2018-19 true freshman campaign with a 16-8 record with 10 decisions, four major decisions, one technical fall and one fall and placed second at the MAC Championships.
Junior Logan Stanley (Fredericksburg, Ohio) is back as the starter at 174 pounds after a breakout 2019-20 season in which he posted a 19-13 record while redshirt senior Jake Walker (Sarasota, Fla.), the owner of 37 career victories, returns as Ohio's starter at 197.
Other veteran returners to the Ohio lineup include redshirt sophomore Giovanni DiSabato (Hilliard, Ohio) at 125, redshirt junior Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) at 141, redshirt senior Nick Vestal (Wilmington, Ohio) at 157 and redshirt junior Mason Korening (Aurora, Ill.) at 184. Youngsters expected to push for spots in the lineup include redshirt freshman Oscar Sanchez (Genoa, Ohio) at 125, freshman Brayden Littell (Greenwood, Ind.) at 133, redshirt freshman Conor McCrone (Willoughby, Ohio) at 141, redshirt freshman Alex Mosconi (Bloomington, Ind.) at 149, redshirt freshman Carson Brewer (Avon, Ind.) at 184 and freshman Jacob Padilla (Huber Heights, Ohio) at 285.
Saturday will mark the 23rd meeting between Ohio and Buffalo, with the Bobcats leading the all-time series, 17-5. Ohio recorded a 27-10 Senior Day victory over Buffalo in the last matchup between the two squads on Feb. 23, 2020, with Stanley's 11-3 major decision win at 174 highlighting the victory for the Bobcats. Buffalo is led by eighth-year head coach John Stutzman and returns a two-time national qualifier to its lineup in redshirt senior Derek Spann at 141.
Ohio will return to the mat next Sunday (January 10) when it travels to Morgantown, W. Va., for the WVU Quad to battle host West Virginia, Virginia Tech and MAC archrival Kent State.
Ohio at Buffalo Probable Lineups
125: Ohio R-So. Giovanni DiSabato OR R-Fr. Oscar Sanchez vs. Buffalo Fr. Triston Daugherty OR So. Jimmy Ryan
133: Ohio R-Sr. Mario Guillen OR Fr. Brayden Littell vs. Buffalo Fr. Caleb Svingala OR R-Fr. Tommy Maddox
141: Ohio R-Jr. Kyran Hagan OR R-Fr. Conor McCrone vs. Buffalo R-Sr. Derek Spann OR Fr. Matt Ryan
149: Ohio R-Fr. Alex Mosconi vs. Buffalo R-Fr. Ty Raines OR R-Jr. Ben Freeman
157: Ohio R-Sr. Nick Vestal vs. Buffalo R-So. Michael Petite
165: Ohio R-So. Colt Yinger OR R-Fr. Kamal Adewumi vs. Buffalo R-Jr. Noah Grover
174: Ohio Jr. Logan Stanley vs. Buffalo R-Jr. Jake Lanning OR Fr. Marcus Petite OR OR R-So. Giuseppe Hoose
184: Ohio R-Fr. Carson Brewer OR R-Jr. Mason Kroening vs. Buffalo R-So. Pete Acciardi
197: Ohio R-Sr. Jake Walker vs. Buffalo R-Fr. Sam Mitchell
285: R-So. Jordan Earnest OR Fr. Jacob Padilla vs. Buffalo R-Jr. Toby Cahill OR Fr. Robbie Unrushed
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