Sun Devil Wrestling will host Cal Baptist University in a Big 12 Conference dual at Desert Financial Arena on Friday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m. MST. The match can be viewed on ESPN+ with commentary from Ryan Sykora and former Sun Devil wrestler Aaron Simpson.
This event could be the last meeting between Arizona State and Cal Baptist, as Cal Baptist announced plans to discontinue its wrestling program after the 2025-26 season.
Arizona State is coming off a weekend where it split two matches. The team secured a comeback win against Oregon State, overcoming a 16-4 deficit by winning five consecutive bouts from 165 pounds through heavyweight. Key performances included Shay Addison’s pin at 184 pounds to tie the score and Colton Hawks’ overtime victory over a top-ranked opponent. Freshman Ben Szuba completed the rally with an 11-0 major decision.
However, Arizona State was unable to maintain that momentum in its next match, losing to Oklahoma 31-9. Notable wins came from Nicco Ruiz, Pierson Manville, and An’ee Vigil.
Probable starters for Arizona State include An’ee Vigil (125), Kyler Larkin or Carter Dibert (133), Pierson Manville (141), Benji Alanis or Daniel Miranda (149), Kaleb Larkin or Chance McLane or Jabari Hinson (157), Nicco Ruiz (165), Cael Valencia (174), Azizbek Fayzullaev or Shay Addison (184), Colton Hawks (197), and David Szuba or Damion Schunke (heavyweight).
Cal Baptist enters the dual with a record of 2-9 overall and 0-6 in conference play. The teams have met once before, with Arizona State winning their previous encounter in January 2025. Cal Baptist’s lineup features Jesse Vasquez at 141 pounds, who previously wrestled for Arizona State and qualified for the NCAA championships during his time there.
Arizona State has seen improvement this season with ten wrestlers recording double-digit wins compared to five last year. Five Sun Devils are currently ranked by Intermat: Kyler Larkin (#5 at 133 lbs.), Pierson Manville (#20 at 141 lbs.), Kaleb Larkin (#5 at 157 lbs.), Nicco Ruiz (#14 at 165 lbs.), and David Szuba (#18 at heavyweight). The Szuba brothers have combined for a strong performance in the heavyweight division this season.
Additional achievements include Ben Szuba’s tournament victory at the Edinboro Open and Colton Hawks’ career-best win over Oregon State’s Justin Rademacher. Kaleb Larkin continues his strong record in the reclassified weight class without back-to-back losses in his career.
Fans can follow updates on Sun Devil Wrestling through their official website and social media channels.