Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's wrestling team is set to return to dual meet action after nearly a month, facing Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, December 15. The match will be available for streaming via the CSU Bakersfield Athletics YouTube channel with live results on TrackWrestling.

"This weekend is a great opportunity for some of our guys to wrestle in front of friends and family back home for the first time in their careers," stated Michigan State head coach Roger Chandler. He expressed anticipation for "another tough dual to test our team before Big Ten duals get started next month."

The Spartans hold a 2-0 record this season with victories over American and Ohio. This marks their first competition in California since 1979 when they faced several teams including CSU Bakersfield. Historically, Michigan State has not secured a win against CSU Bakersfield, losing both previous encounters in 1978 and 1979.

Two key Michigan State wrestlers, Tristan Lujan and Ceasar Garza, are from California, highlighting the region's importance in the team's recruitment strategy under Coach Chandler. The Spartans have maintained an impressive streak of 24 consecutive non-conference dual wins since 2020.

Cal State Bakersfield's wrestling team is led by Luke Smith, now in his sixth year as head coach. Previously an assistant at Eastern Michigan, Smith was a four-time NCAA qualifier during his collegiate career at Central Michigan. This season, CSUB holds an 0-2 record following losses to Utah Valley and Stanford.

CSUB features notable wrestlers such as AJ Ferrari and Jake Andrews who are ranked by FloWrestling. Ferrari also holds the top spot at 197 pounds according to InterMat rankings.

Following this matchup, Michigan State will participate in the Midlands Championships on December 29-30 where they finished fourth last year with six Spartans placing.