The Top 3 Potential Matchups in Oklahoma State’s Dual against Little Rock

STILLWATER — The Cowboys are set to debut some new singlets on Friday night as part of their N7 dual.

Oklahoma State hosts Little Rock at 7 p.m. Friday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The Cowboys are 12-1 in duals this season with the only loss coming to Iowa at National Duals. OSU enters Friday’s dual off one of its better performances of the season when the Pokes beat up on then-No. 3 Iowa State 24-9.

Led by OSU alum Neil Erisman, the Trojans are 3-9 this season and enter Friday’s contest having lost three straight.

3. 197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) vs. No. 3 Stephen Little (LR)

If this match was more of a sure thing, it’d be competing for the match of the dual, but unfortunately Little hasn’t wrestled since Jan. 3 at the Southern Scuffle. So, there’s probably a decent chance we don’t get this match Friday.

But if we do …

Little is 8-1 on the year with his one loss coming to No. 1 Josh Barr (Penn State) via a 9-1 major decision. Little is a two-time All-American, finishing sixth last season and seventh in 2024.

Merrill is up to 11-2 in his redshirt freshman season, coming off a loss in tiebreakers to No. 2 Rocky Elam. Before that loss, Merrill had won eight in a row.

2. 149: No. 9 Casey Swiderski (OSU) vs. No. 23 Brock Herman (LR)

This dual won’t feature a ton of ranked matches, but Casey Swiderski will face another tough test at 149 against Brock Herman.

Herman is an Ohio State transfer who is 7-3 on the season and has won six of his past seven matches.

Swiderski has emerged from his tough start to the season and battled to a 10-5 record including a statement win against No. 6 Jacob Frost this past weekend.

It was Swiderski’s sixth straight win — a stretch that has included a pair of Top 10 wins against Frost and No. 5 Chance Lamer (Nebraska). Two of Swiderski’s five losses are to guys inside the Top 3 of what’s been a somewhat hectic 149-pound weight class.

“Casey is definitely an energy guy,” said OSU coach David Taylor of Swiderski on Thursday. “And he brings it out with our guys. You wrestle Casey in practice, like, you’ve gotta be ready to go. It’s good. It’s been great for our young guys, and those guys have been a great challenge for him.

“But I think for him what has been great is his resilience. I think that’s been the story for him this year. Gets started, and it didn’t go so awesome. Could’ve put his head down and just found a way to not get better, and he’s just coming to work and putting his work boots on.”

1. 165: No. 2 Dee Lockett (OSU) vs. No. 5 Matty Bianchi (LR)

It’s not every day that two unbeatens meet this late in the season, but that could happen at 165 pounds on Friday night.

A redshirt senior, Bianchi was an All-American last season, finishing seventh at 157 pounds. He’s 15-0 this season and wrestles relatively tight matches, as only one of those wins came via bonus points when he pinned SIUE’s Brock Woodcock last month.

Bianchi’s best win of the season came against Illinois’ Braeden Scoles, who currently ranks eighth at the weight. That win was back on Nov. 15.

Lockett is 11-0 in his true freshman season coming off a pair of ranked wins last weekend with his last-second takedown against No. 6 Ryder Downey before beating No. 16 Connor Euton via a 12-3 major decision.

“The plan all along was to be an undefeated, true freshman national champ,” said Lockett on Thursday when asked if this season has matched his expectations. “So, everything’s going as I planned it so far, and I hope to continue just doing the same things that I’m doing and getting better. Hopefully I can score a little more points than I have been, but right now I think you’re starting to see me open it up a little bit more.”