CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University wrestling team returns home and opens Eastern Wrestling League action by hosting nationally ranked Rider Friday, Jan. 19.

The dual between the Vikings and No. 19 Broncs will get underway at 6:00 p.m.

This will be CSU's first dual in over a month, with the Vikings last competing in dual action when they hosted Eastern Michigan and John Carroll on the second weekend of December. Each of Cleveland State's next six dates of competition will see the Vikings face an EWL foe in dual action.

Redshirt senior Nick Corba continues to pace the Vikings with a team-leading 18 wins at 184 pounds. Corba, who is ranked among the top 20 at his weight class, has 11 bonus-point wins on the season and owns a 5-1 record in dual action in 2017-18.

Junior Evan Cheek is off to a hot start in the 2018 calendar year. He was the only unseeded wrestler to place at 141 pounds at the Southern Scuffle, where he won five matches, including downing the No. 4 seed. Cheek then proceeded to dominate at the Purple Raider Open this past weekend. He won the title with three pins and a technical fall while defeating three Big Ten opponents on his way to the crown.

Redshirt senior Gabe Stark and redshirt sophomore Caleb Stockmaster both own double-digit win totals at 174 pounds this season for CSU. Junior John Vaughn, who recently moved down to 157 pounds, owns 11 combined wins this season and has not lost via fall or technical fall all season.

The series between the Vikings and Broncs is tied, 2-2, since Rider joined the EWL with the Broncs owning a 3-2 lead all-time. The score for the winning team in the series has been either 21 or 24 in four of the previous five meetings. Three of the five duals were decided by six points or fewer. Cheek, Corba and redshirt junior John Martin are the three active Vikings that own dual wins over a Rider opponent in their career. Cheek posted a third-period win via fall in last year's meeting in New Jersey.

Rider owns a 7-2 dual mark on the season after having won its EWL opener last weekend against George Mason. The Broncs own two wins over Big XII foes this season with both of their losses coming to teams currently ranked among the top five nationally. Rider is led by 165-pounder Chad Walsh, the reigning EWL Wrestler of the Year. Walsh owns a 14-0 mark this season and is ranked as high as third nationally at his weight class. B.J. Clagon, Rider's starter at 157 pounds, is ranked 11th nationally by FloWrestling.

Cleveland State will contest two EWL duals on both the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February.

CSU Projected Lineup
125: John Martin
133: Andrew Coghill
141: Evan Cheek
149: Ryan Ford
157: John Vaughn
165: Georgio Poullas
174: Gabe Stark
184: Nick Corba
197: John Kelbly
285: Collin Kelly 

Rider Projected Lineup
125: J.R. Wert
133: Anthony Cefolo
141: Tyson Dippery
149: Gary Dinmore
157: B.J. Clagon
165: Chad Walsh
174: Dean Sherry OR Wayne Stinson
184: Michale Fagg-Daves
197: Ethan Laird
285: Mauro Correnti OR Ryan Cloud