PREVIEW: Penn State wrestling eyes fourth straight undefeated season Sunday

No. 1 Penn State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) hosts Edinboro (2-11, 1-7 MAC) at Rec Hall on Sunday for the final dual of the season. The Nittany Lions will look to complete their fourth consecutive undefeated dual season and extend their winning streak to 56. As everyone starts to shift the focus to the Big Ten Championships and the NCAAs, what should we expect to seek from senior day in Rec Hall?

Penn State wrestling vs Edinboro preview

Penn State is coming off its closest dual of the season, a 22-13 win over No. 4 Nebraska last Sunday at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions completed their third consecutive undefeated Big Ten dual season and clinched a 10^th Big Ten Regular Season Championship under Cael Sanderson.

Edinboro enters off a 41-7 home loss to Lock Haven this past Saturday. The only two wins the Fighting Scots have so far this season are over Bloomsburg, 31-7, and Sacred Heart, 27-14.

Penn State wrestling leads the all-time series 13-3. The last meeting between the schools was on January 7, 2011, at the Virginia Duals, resulting in a 37-12 Nittany Lion victory.

The gap between these two sides is the largest that Penn State wrestling has faced all season. The Nittany Lions have all 10 wrestlers ranked in the top 11, while the Fighting Scots have just one wrestler with a winning record.

Match to watch:

184: No. 6 Bernie Truax 10-3 (PSU) vs Brody Evans 12-17 (EDIN)

Bernie Truax will look to rebound after an 8-6 loss to No. 3 Lenny Pinto of Nebraska on Sunday. Truax remained at No. 6 in the rankings and now holds a 10-3 record with a 46.15% bonus percentage.

Brody Evans is coming off a 14-2 major decision loss to Colin Fegley of Lock Haven on Saturday. Evans is 12-17 with a 20.69% bonus percentage. Traux will be the highest-ranked opponent that he has faced all season.

There really aren’t a lot of choices when picking this week’s match to watch. Only one Edinboro wrestler has an above .500 record. However, the match at 184 is the most intriguing, because it will give Truax a chance to get back in the win column before the Big Ten Championships. Anything less than a pin or tech fall would be a shocking result here.

Projected Lineups

125: No. 8 Braeden Davis 15-2 (PSU) vs Caleb Edwards 7-21 (EDIN)

133: No. 11 Aaron Nagao 9-4 (PSU) vs Eamonn Jimenez 3-14 (EDIN)

141: No. 1 Beau Bartlett 17-0 (PSU) vs Jacob Brenneman 12-18 (EDIN)

149: No. 9 Tyler Kasak 12-3 (PSU) vs Colin Roberts 6-17 (EDIN)

157: No. 1 Levi Haines 14-0 (PSU) vs Gannon Jaquay 1-9 (EDIN)

165: No. 6 Mitchell Mesenbrink 18-0 (PSU) vs Max Kirby 12-15 (EDIN)

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci 11-0 (PSU) vs Joey Arnold 7-18 (EDIN)

184: No. 6 Bernie Truax 10-3 (PSU) vs Brody Evans 12-17 (EDIN)

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks 13-0 (PSU) vs Jack Kilner 19-12 (EDIN)

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet 11-0 (PSU) vs Aden Roe 11-10/Nick Lodato 9-18 (EDIN)

Penn State vs Edinboro predictions

125: No. 8 Braeden Davis (PSU) by tech fall

133: No. 11 Aaron Nagao (PSU) by fall

141: No. 1 Beau Bartlett (PSU) by fall

149: No. 9 Tyler Kasak (PSU) by tech fall

157: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) by fall

165: No. 6 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) by fall

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) by fall

184: No. 6 Bernie Truax (PSU) by tech fall

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) by fall

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet by tech fall

FINAL SCORE: No. 1 Penn State 56 – Edinboro 0

Penn State wrestling should be able to name the score in this dual. The more intriguing storyline will be how many starters Cael Sanderson sends out on the mat. Even without a full lineup, a shutout is still likely in the cards.

While adding another win to each wrestler’s record could have a small impact on tournament seeding, rest would also be beneficial. This also could be a chance for us to see some of the future wrestlers that will be in the starting lineup in the upcoming seasons.

The Nittany Lions’ biggest win this year was a 46-0 home win against the Indiana Hoosiers. This will be the best chance to break the 50-point mark, as Penn State should at least pick up a tech fall in every bout. We will have to see if “Pin State” lives up to the nickname this weekend.

How to watch?

Date: February 25, 2024

Time: 2:00 pm ET

TV: BTN+

Location: Rec Hall

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