GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University wrestling team will return home for a key Friday night Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual against fellow nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines.
 
The dual in the Mavs' Brownson Arena will begin at 6 p.m. and tickets are available here.
 
It can also be seen on the RMAC Network (more info below) and followed through live scoring on TrackWrestling at the link above.
 
Both teams will enter the dual tied with each other for 22^nd in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, which dropped on Thursday.
 
The Mavericks will also enter the dual with a 4-2 overall record.  They are 1-1 in the RMAC.  Mines is 7-2 overall and 2-1 in RMAC duals.
 
Last Time Out
 
The Mavericks were last in action on Saturday (Jan. 17), falling 23-16 to then 16^th-ranked Adams State.
 
The Grizzlies, who improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in duals, won five straight bouts from 141-174 pounds to build a 23-3 lead before the Mavs won the final three bouts to tighten the score.
 
133-pounder AJ Hague, Noah O'Dougherty (184), Gabriel Carranza (197) and Ruben Samuelson (285) were winners for the Mavs.
 
A full recap and match-by-match results can be found here.
 
Quick Pin Streak

Ruben Samuelson recorded his fourth straight first period pin in the dual with Adams State, defeating the Grizzlies' Jaylen Ignacio in just one minute and 59 seconds.
 
The 285-pounder's last four victories have been completed in a total of just 6:04, an average of 91 seconds per.
 
The fifth-year senior is now 10-4 overall.  Nine of his ten victories have come via pin, all in the first period.  His other victory came via injury default just 18 seconds in.
 
Only two of his 14 matches have gone into the second period and only one has gone the distance.
 
Dropping Down for the Win
 
Redshirt freshman AJ Hague dropped down from 141 to 133 pounds and picked up a 9-4 win over Adams State John Provencio in last Saturday's dual.  Hague had competed in three tournaments and in the Mavs' season-opening exhibition duals against Colorado Northwestern Community College and Northeastern Junior College at 141.
 
He has now compiled a strong 11-5 record and is 3-0 in dual meets, including his two wins in the exhibition duals.
 
He is the fourth different Maverick to wrestle in a dual at 133 pounds this season.
 
Probable Lineup
 
Here is a look at the weight-by-weight look at the Mavs' probable lineup for Friday's dual.  Each wrestler's 2025-26 overall and dual meet records are listed in parenthesis.
 
125: Adonias Cantu (16-6 overall, 6-1 in duals)
133: AJ Hague (11-5, 3-0) OR Murphy Harris (3-0, 1-3)
141: Apollo Cruz (9-8, 3-2)
149: Alex Castaneda (10-7, 3-3) OR Juan Garcia (3-1, 2-0)
157: #7 Owen Cline (5-2, 4-1)
165: Will Alvarado (12-10, 4-3)
174: Christian Pebley (11-7, 7-1)
184: Noah O'Dougherty (10-7, 6-2) OR Logan Noble (12-10, 0-0)
197: #8 Gabriel Carranza (12-3, 5-0)
285: Ruben Samuelson (10-4, 6-2)
 
Looking at the rankings
 
The latest National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches Rankings came out earlier today (Thursday).  After being ranked 18^th throughout the season, the Mavs dropped to 22^nd and now have two individually ranked wrestlers.
 
Owen Cline remained seventh in the rankings at 157 pounds while Gabriel Carranza dropped a spot to eighth at 197.
 
Cline is 5-2 this season, posting a 4-1 record in duals.  He has won three of his last four.
 
Carranza is 12-3 overall and 5-0 in duals.  He has won eight out of his last nine matches.
 
Alex Castaneda had been ranked sixth in the previous set of rankings (Dec. 18) but fell out in this latest set.
 
About the Orediggers
 
The Orediggers will enter Friday's dual with a 7-2 team record.  They are 2-1 in RMAC affairs and are coming off a comprehensive 27-12 road win at Western Colorado last Saturday.
 
They had lost their previous dual, 20-13 at Chadron State on Jan. 9.
 
Experienced fifth-year seniors Cody Thompson and Mason Diel lead the team.  Thompson is 9-0 and is ranked third in the country at 149 pounds.  He was the 2024 national runner-up American and went 9-2 last season before suffering a 2024-25 season-ending injury in December of 2024.
 
Diel is 8-0 this year.  He and Wyatt Riesz are listed as co-probable starters at 184 and 197.
 
The middle of Head Coach Austin DeVoe's lineup is also strong.  Brandon Cody is 10-2 at 157 pounds while Marcus Caro leads the team with 12 wins (12-7) at 165.
 
Series History
 
The Mavs hold a narrow 11-10 series lead over the Orediggers since resuming their program in 2006-07 and have met every year since, including twice during both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
 
The Orediggers have won the last two match-ups, winning 23-15 in Golden last year after squeaking out a 19-18 win over the Mavs on criteria in their last visit to Grand Junction on Jan. 27, 2024.
 
The Orediggers have won five of the last seven match-ups after the Mavs had won the previous six from 2013-18.
 
CMU has fared well at home, winning seven out of the ten match-ups.
 
RMAC Network News
 
The RMAC Network has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season.  This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
 
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
 
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
 
Colorado Mesa turns 100
 
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.

Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
 
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com.
 
Up Next
 
The Maverick starters will get next week off from competition although a contingent of back-ups will head North to Rangely for an exhibition dual against Colorado Northwestern Community College on Saturday, Jan. 31.
 
The Mavs will then return home and to RMAC action with home duals against CSU Pueblo and No. 17 Chadron State on Feb. 5 and 7, respectively.  Those two duals will be CMU's final home affairs of the season.
 
The CSU Pueblo dual will serve as the Mavs' annual Bank of Colorado Battle in Brownson promotion.  Pajama Night is the promotion for the Chadron State dual.