Keith Gavin looks at the lineup of wrestlers Oklahoma State will bring to Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House on Saturday, and he quickly understands the enormity of the challenge facing his team.

Oklahoma State is ranked third in the nation by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and nine of its top 10 wrestlers are no lower than 13th.

“They don’t have any weak spots in their lineup,” Gavin, Pitt’s coach, said. “It’s a huge opportunity for our guys to wrestle some top-ranked wrestlers.”

With all due respect to his opponent, Pitt’s Micky Phillippi, a Derry graduate who wrestles at 133 pounds, prefers to focus on what he must do, not what Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix might do. Fix is No. 2 in the nation and 20-0.

“It doesn’t matter who’s across the mat from you,” said Phillippi, who is not far behind at No. 4. “They’re going to bring it all, so you have to bring your all.

“There is a lot of hype to it. It’s going to be cool for everyone to watch. I’m excited. I want to get to my stuff and not let him get to his. We haven’t scouted a ton, just focus on what can make me better.”

Phillippi is one of four Pitt wrestlers who are nationally ranked in Gavin’s second season. Gavin was the first coach hired by Heather Lyke after she became athletic director in 2017.

Taleb Rahmani is No. 10 at 157, Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) No. 12 at 184 and heavyweight Demetrius Thomas is No. 13 after transferring from Williams Baptist (Ark.), where he won an NAIA national championship.

They form the core of a team that is 8-0 in dual matches, ranked No. 14 and trying not to look too far ahead to the NCAA Championships, which are at PPG Paints Arena in March. It’s the first time since 1957 that they will be held in Pittsburgh.

“It really boils down to the end of the season,” Gavin said. “We want guys on the podium in March.”

Gavin, who won the most recent national championship at Pitt (2008), sees progress in his program beyond its undefeated record. Actually, he sees it every day in practice.

“Obviously, they are good wrestlers,” he said of his four nationally ranked competitors. “But the way they compete and the way they go about their training, they’re leaders on the team.

“It’s contagious. When you have people who compete hard and train hard and take this thing seriously, it’s easier for the other guys to jump on board.”

Phillippi transferred from Virginia to Pitt, where he said he can more readily chase his goal of a national championship.

“Pitt recruited me,” he said. “I actually liked it a lot, but I just overlooked it, thinking being home wasn’t that big of a deal for me.

“After I went away, I knew I had to get in a place where I know I could accomplish my goals. Why put up the obstacles when they don’t need to be there?”

He said the key to his success is having a larger “gas tank” than his opponents.

“It doesn’t have a limit,” he said. “I feel like I’m being the guy on the offensive.

“I try my hardest to push myself every day to make it better. I try to make myself tired. Just outworking people. (Gavin) tells us if we go out there and outwork (the opponent), there’s no reason we can’t beat them.”

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.

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