Pitt
Ohio State
No. 19 Pitt Travels to No. 5 Ohio State for Marquee Dual
12/8/2023 1:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—Pitt will partake in an early season clash of top-20 NCAA wrestling programs this Sunday when the No. 19 Panthers face No. 5 Ohio State at the Covelli Center in Columbus.
The enticing ACC-Big Ten dual will air on the Big Ten Network at noon with renowned wrestling announcers Shane Sparks and Tim Johnson on the call for the Panthers (5-1) and Buckeyes (4-0).
For Pitt, this match marks a third consecutive meeting with Big Ten opposition following recent wins at Maryland and against Illinois last Sunday in the team's home opener at Fitzgerald Field House.
Head coach Keith Gavin will take an unchanged projected lineup that features eight ranked wrestlers, including seven top-20 individuals in this week's InterMat polls, led by senior captain Holden Heller, who is undefeated on the season at 6-0 and ranked No. 8 at 165 pounds this week.
No. 19 Luca Augustine at 174 pounds, No. 20 Reece Heller at 184 pounds and No. 14 Dayton Pitzer at heavyweight all each have just one loss to their names early this season.
No. 23 Vinnie Santaniello at 133, No. 20 Cole Matthews at 141, No. 19 Finn Solomon at 149 and No. 17 Mac Stout at 197 are also ranked for the Panthers, with Colton Camacho at 125 and Jared Keslar at 157 rounding out Pitt's consistent probable lineup for Sunday's meeting with Ohio State.
The undefeated Buckeyes, who knocked off Virginia Tech in their opener before shutting out Edinboro, Columbia and Hofstra in duals this season, have ranked wrestlers in every weight class this week.
Pitt trails Ohio State, 14-9, in the all-time wrestling series between the two storied programs, with the Big Ten program owning just a 6-5 edge in matches in Columbus.
The Panthers last beat the Buckeyes in 2010 – with a dramatic 18-17 win in Columbus.
Fans can watch on BTN or follow @Pitt_WRES for live updates from the Covelli Center on Sunday.
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