ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- Head Coach Kevin Ward and the No. 9 Ouachita wrestling team will kick off their season with their annual purple-gold match this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Coach Ward has set the line-ups and says that a lot of the weights actually have implications on the team's starting line-up for the upcoming season.

"I am excited to watch the guys get out and compete in a live competition setting," commented Ward.  We have some competitive weights, and there are still some questions as to what our actual starting lineup will be, and ranking matches are one tool I use to gauge where we are as a team, and which individuals will be representing us."

Kicking things off on Wednesday will be Seth Hutchison and Robert Lewis, competing for the starting spot in the 133 lb weight class. Tanner Mann and Anthony Melillo, also 133 lb wrestlers, will compete shortly after. The winners of those two matches will take each other on after the heavyweight match concludes at the end of the night.

Competing in the 125 lb weight class, fans will get to see Lee Celestino take on nationally-ranked Garrett Evans, one of the Tiger's All-Americans in 2011-2012.

Sophomores Ben Cline and Josh Myers headline the 141 lb weight class, while Dexter Carter and Zach Matthews will be competing in the 149 lb weight class.

In the 157 lb weight class, freshman Andrew Martin will face an uphill battle, taking on All-American and Regional Champion Bobby Williams.

Freshmen Seth Calvert and Troy Mercer highlight the competition in the 197 lb weight class, while heavyweights Taylor Poe and O'Dell Lee will match-up following that one.

Ward is excited to see how the team fares in the match, saying, "One of the best things about this team is that we have some very competitive weights where there are several quality wrestlers who might be in the starting lineup.  That depth is something that has been missing in the past and it's definitely a positive that we have some competitive weights."

The Purple-Gold match will begin at 7 p.m. in Bill Vining Arena on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University.