WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The ASRC figures to be jumping on Thursday night when head coach Danny Irwin takes the wraps off his No. 5-ranked West Liberty University wrestling team for a mutual season opener against long-time rival and No. 21-ranked Pitt-Johnstown.
    First match is set for 6:30 p.m. with a large crowd expected. Fans are reminded that face coverings are mandatory for all spectators and game day staff for events hosted inside the ASRC regardless of vaccination status. The university strongly recommends and encourages fans to observe social distancing protocols at all times while inside the facility.
    "We are really excited to be able to compete with our fans back on the hilltop cheering us on," Irwin said. "Just seeing two guys out on the mat giving it everything they've got with people screaming and cheering. The message board, the lights, it's such a great atmosphere inside the ASRC. Our guys love it and it still gives me chills."
    With legendary West Liberty Hall of Famer Pat Pecora – the winningest wrestling coach in NCAA history – now in his 45th season at the Pitt-Johnstown helm, the Hilltoppers and Mountain Cats have one of the oldest rivalries in the NCAA Division II books.
    The Western Pennsylvania squad has had the better of it in recent years, reeling off seven straight wins since an 18-16 WLU dual win back in 2012, but Irwin says that just adds more fuel to the flames.
    "Coach Pecora is awesome," Irwin said. "He still has a ton of fire and he's a big reason they are who they are – a perennial Top 10 team for decades. They didn't get to have much of a season last year due to the pandemic so they're maybe a little under the radar this year but they have some really impressive guys and we're certainly not overlooking them."
    The Hilltoppers are coming off a magical season in 2020-21, winning Mountain East Conference and NCAA Division II Super Regional titles for the first time in school history and following that up with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Nationals in St. Louis.
    Irwin welcomes back all six of his national tournament qualifiers from a year ago, led by a trio of former national champions. Senior Tyler Warner won his second straight 133-pound crown in St. Louis while fellow senior Cole Laya notched his first 125-pound title. Senior Connor Craig – the 2019 national champion at 184 – was runner-up at 184 in St. Louis. Warner and Laya are ranked No. 1 nationally at their respective weights this season while Craig opens as the nation's No. 2-ranked 184-pounder.
    Francesco Borsellino is a returning All-American at 285 after fighting back through the consolation rounds to place seventh in St. Louis. Graduate student Logan Kemp, a three-time national qualifier, is ranked No. 10 at 197 while junior Chase Morgan is ranked No. 9 at 165 after making his national tournament debut in March.
    Rounding out the projected starters for the Black and Gold are senior Marcus Jean-Baptiste at 141, rising sophomore Jordan Watters at 149, graduate student Christian Rivera at 157 and sophomore Ty McGeary, the 2021 MEC Freshman of the Year, at 174.
    Rivera and Baptiste came up one win shy of qualifying for the NCAA Nationals at the regional in March while McGeary placed third in the regional but lost out in the voting for the limited national qualifying spots. Watters is coming off an impressive preseason at one of the Hilltoppers' more competitive weights.
    "We had a really good spring which led to a really good fall," Irwin said. "We're definitely where we want to be as a program coming into the season. I felt good about our dress rehearsal on Saturday and I feel good about Thursday night. I'm confident every guy we send out onto the mat will give us their best and that's all you can ask. I think it's going to be a terrific dual."
    The WLU mat squad will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Alliance, Ohio for the Mount Union Invitational. The Hilltoppers make their Mountain East Conference season debut on Nov. 10 in a 6:30 p.m. match at Wheeling.