OPENING BOUT:
After earning an 2-0 record last week with victories over Minot State and U-Mary, the Mustangs will return home to host No. 2 St. Cloud State and MSU Moorhead in the final home games of the regular season. SMSU will face SCSU at 7 p.m. on Friday night before taking on MSUM on Saturday afternoon at 3.
 
SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE:
The Huskies are 14-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 in the NSIC entering Friday's dual as SCSU has handled NSIC teams easily. The No. 2 team in the nation has only given up 14 points in its five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference duals. Clint Poster (157) leads the Huskies with a perfect 31-0 record with seven falls, seven majors and 10 decisions. He is also No. 1 in this week's Super Region 3 rankings. Austin Goergen (HWT), who is ranked No. 1 in the Super Region 3, has tallied 14 falls and has a 27-1 record. Gabe Fogarty (165) is No. 1 in this week's region ranking at his weight class with his 22-2 recorded with five pins and six decisions this season. Steve Costanzo is in his 9th season as the head coach of St. Cloud State University.
 
SERIES HISTORY — SCSU:
Southwest Minnesota State and St. Cloud State will meet for the 44th time on Friday night with SCSU holding a 29-13-1 advantage in a series that started back in the 1969-70 season. SMSU is 11-8 while playing in the PE Gym but has suffered a loss in the last eight duals in the series with it's last win coming in the 2005-06 season at home. SMSU head coach Jesse Nelson is 0-7 all-time versus St. Cloud State.
 
SCOUTING MSU MOORHEAD:
The Dragons are 4-5 overall and 0-4 in the NSIC entering Saturday's dual, as MSUM was shutout against No. 2 St. Cloud State last week, 45-0. The Dragons will play Minot State on Thursday night before playing SMSU on Saturday. Blake Bosch (133) leads the Dragons with an 18-8 record and is No. 3 in this week's region ranking. Garret Hoffner (157) is ranked No. 10 in the Super Region 3 in his weight with his 11-5 record. Michael Joseph (174) is ranked No. 7 in the Super Region 3 in his weight with a 14-9 record. Kris Nelson is in his 6th season as the head coach at MSU Moorhead.
 
SERIES HISTORY — MSUM:
Southwest Minnesota State and MSU Moorhead will meet for the 45th time on Saturday with MSUM holding a 24-19-1 advantage in a series that started back in the 1983-84 season. SMSU is 8-6 while playing at home and has won the last four duals in the series with its last loss coming in the 2009-10 season in Moorhead, Minn. SMSU head coach Jesse Nelson is 4-3 all-time versus MSU Moorhead.
 
NATIONAL AND REGION RANKINGS:
Southwest Minnesota State wrestlers Jordan Biehn, Jacob Begin and Cole Wilson are individually ranked in the region rankings that were announced this week.
 
Jordan Biehn, a freshman from Jackson, Minn., is ranked 10th in this week's region ranking at 133 pounds and is 18-8 this season with four pins.
 
Jacob Begin, a senior from Anoka, Minn., is ranked third in in this week's Super Region 3 ranking at 174 pounds and is 22-3 this season with nine falls and four tech. falls.
 
Cole Wilson, a senior from Fairbault, Minn., is ranked third in the region rankings at 285 pounds and is leading the Mustangs with a 26-3 record with 10 pins and 10 decisions.
 
As a team, SMSU is ranked 10th in the 15-team Super Region 3 rankings with eight points.
 
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK:
Southwest Minnesota State University wrestler, Cole Wilson was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 2. The announcement came from the league office in Burnsville, Minn.
 
Wilson, a native of Faribault Minn., went 2-0 that week as Southwest Minnesota State defeated Northern State 31-10 and lost to No. 10 Upper Iowa 30-9. Wilson started the week with a 10-2 major decision over Dustin Caspers of Northern State. Then last Friday versus No. 10 Upper Iowa, Wilson took down the No. 6 ranked heavyweight wrestler the nation. Wilson pinned the Peacock's Logan Hopp for a dramatic overtime win at 7:55 for a sudden victory. Wilson earned his 11th fall of the season in the victory and improved his record to 25-3.
 
This marks the second time in his career that he has been named to the honor and the first Mustang this season.
 
HEAD COACH:
Jesse Nelson is in his eighth season as head wrestling coach at Southwest Minnesota State. During his tenure, Nelson has led the program to an overall record of 58-52-1. Last season he led the mustangs to a 6-2 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference—most wins since joining the conference in 2000 and highest finish since winning the title that same season. Nelson was named the fourth coach in the history's program on Aug. 22, 2007.
 
SMSU PROBABLE LINEUP:
125 pounds | Taylor Curtis (5-14) or Landyn VanOverbeke (7-7)
133 pounds | Jordan Biehn  (18-8)
141 pounds | Trent Butcher  (11-11)
149 pounds | John Weeding (5-11) or Jake Slocum (9-11)
157 pounds | Patrick Kelley (15-14)
165 pounds | Hunter St. John (0-2)
174 pounds | Jacob Begin (22-3)
184 pounds | Ashton Bartlett (7-12) or Brody Goens (14-9)
197 pounds | Tristan Ezell (8-14)
285 pounds | Cole Wilson (26-3)
 
SCSU PROBABLE LINEUP
­125 pounds | Tim Prescott (13-6) or Joel Salomon (11-2)
133 pounds | Mike Rhone (14-3) or Jarred Oftedahl (18-6)
141 pounds | Josh Howk (20-3) or Zach Stewart (9-8)
149 pounds | Larry Bomstad (20-3) or Taner Trembley  (16-7)
157 pounds | Clint Poster (29-0) or Travis Holt (24-4)
165 pounds | Gabe Fogarty (20-2) or Alex Anaya (10-7)
174 pounds | Clayton Jennissen (26-9) or Aaron Bates (15-11)
184 pounds | Dylon Braun (19-9) or Ben McPhail (21-10)
197 pounds | VJ Giulio (10-3) or Trae Story (16-7)
285 pounds | Austin Goergen (25-1) or Caleb White (12-10)
 
MSUM PROBABLE LINEUP:
­125 pounds | Shane Novak (9-7)
133 pounds | Blake Bosch (18-8)
141 pounds | Philippe Walker (11-11)
149 pounds | Isaac Novacek (12-9)
157 pounds | Garret Hoffner (11-5)
165 pounds | Dan Murakami (6-13)
174 pounds | Michael Joseph (14-9)
184 pounds | Shawn Porter (12-11)
197 pounds | Chris Bascon (4-13)
285 pounds | Nader Abdullatif (13-12)
 
UP NEXT:
The Mustangs will head to Concordia-Moorhead for a final dual on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.