The last time Penn State wrestling faced Bloomsburg was in 2011, which was head coach Cael Sanderson’s second season in Happy Valley, and it led to the first of 13 national championships he has collected. Now, in 2026, Sanderson is beginning Year 18 at the helm, looking for his sixth straight championship, and his squad opens the year at Rec Hall, hosting the Huskies once again.
Thursday’s season opener is a bit of a warm-up for the Nittany Lions, who head to Norman, Oklahoma, this weekend to face the No. 13 Sooners on Sunday, potentially the most difficult non-conference matchup of the regular season.
If you want to get eyes on this year’s lineup before Sunday’s showdown, here’s how to watch and everything you need to know about the season opener on Thursday night.
How to watch Penn State vs. Bloomsburg
- Date: Thursday, November 12
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rec Hall
- How to Watch (streaming): Big Ten+
- How to listen: Penn State Sports Network
- Penn State record: 0-0
- Bloomsburg record: 0-0
Penn State wrestling projected lineup:
- 125: Luke Lilledahl
- 133: Masanosuke Ono/Nate Desmond (ongoing competition)
- 141: Marcus Blaze
- 149: Shayne Van Ness
- 157: Tyler Kasak
- 165: PJ Duke
- 174: Mitchell Mesenbrink
- 184: Rocco Welsh
- 197: Josh Barr
- Heavyweight: Connor Mirasola
There is some movement in the middle for Penn State as PJ Duke is sliding up to 165 as Tyler Kasak moves into the lineup after redshirting last season, and Mitchell Mesenbrink, last year’s Hodge Trophy winner, moves up to 174, where he’s ranked No. 1 in the country. Levi Haines’s potential return, pending an NCAA eligibility dispute, would complicate that reshuffle, but Sanderson has made it clear he would welcome that development.
Marcus Blaze is also moving up to 141 as Masanosuke Ono, the Japanese World Champion, makes his collegiate debut and competes with Nate Desmond for the 133-pound spot. Will Henkel and Cole Mirasola are stepping away from the program to serve religious missions, so Cole’s twin brother Connor will step into the heavyweight spot.
Key debuts to watch:
Masanosuke Ono: The international star and 2024 senior world champion has had to make the transition from freestyle to the NCAA’s folkstyle wrestling, and how he navigates that transition in Year 1 will be one of the most important stories to monitor for Penn State.
Sanderson recently indicated that he and Desmond are the frontrunners at 133, and that Ono has made significant progress from his early struggles.
Connor Mirasola: After spending his sophomore season at 197 as his twin brother Cole handled heavyweight duties, Connor began his ascent to heavyweight by winning the U23 national title this offseason. With Cole away from the team this year, Connor will need to make that move stick.
Penn State vs. Bloomsburg series history:
- All-time meetings: 22
- Last meeting: 2011
- Penn State record vs. Bloomsburg: 16-5-1
Bloomsburg’s season so far:
The Huskies began their season on November 1 at Wisconsin, falling 32-7. Then, hosting Sacred Heart and Duke for “Wrangle Mania” on Saturday, head coach John Stutzman’s team went 2-0, defeating Sacred Heart 45-0 and Duke 41-0.
Freshman Morgan Schwarz (165) was a top recruit for the Huskies and is currently 3-0, including a victory over Wisconsin’s Cody Goebel, who is ranked No. 26 according to InterMat. Duke, however, is ranked No. 1 at 165 by InterMat despite making the move up from 157, where he competed last year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google