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Raiders open mat schedule The Southern Oregon University wrestling season opens at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with the annual Red & Black intrasquad match at McNeal Pavilion. The event, at McNeal Pavilion, features the veteran-laden Black team against the Red team, made up of newcomers and redshirt freshmen. Southern Oregon returns six starters and 13 letter winners from last year's 7-3 team, which ran the program's consecutive winning-season streak to 28. The Raiders, ranked fifth in the preseason, are led by 165-pound senior Matt Armstrong, the national runner-up last year at 158. He's currently ranked second. Six other Raiders are ranked: sophomore Ryan Escobar (third, 125), senior Chris Bettineski (third, 141), senior Jamie Haddon (third, 197), senior Brian Samhammer (fourth, 165), senior Bill Wathen (fifth, 184) and senior Victor Perry (eighth, 174). In addition to the most returners since the 1993-94 season, when SOU won the national championship, there are 24 newcomers on hand. Notable among the new faces are Jason Gutches, a former South Medford standout who transferred from Oregon State, and freshmen Mike Lee, from Crater, and John Nelmes, from Eagle Point. "The intrasquad is a chance to get the young guys some experience in a collegiate setting," said fourth-year coach Mike Ritchey. "It allows the older wrestlers to work out some jitters in front of a crowd." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,