A 6-4 record with two matches to go might not be quite the season Arizona State was looking for at this point, but the Sun Devils are content with looking ahead.

ASU has been confronted with injuries since the preseason, and various starters have been in and out of the lineup throughout the season. Among them, All-American Jacori Teemer (157) hasn’t wrestled at all, and isn’t expected to, and Kordell Norfleet (197) was injured in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and his return remains as a question mark.

The Sun Devils have been ranked in the 19-20 range as a dual-meet team but have earned the #11 spot in Flo’s latest team tournament rankings, and the gap between 11 and a top-six spot isn’t cavernous.

But with just two duals left, and a four-match winning streak on the books, ASU coach Zeke Jones is well aware that it’s go time. 

“It’s what we anticipated; we go where the health of our team goes and getting a few guys back in the lineup has helped, and I think a couple of guys are turning the corner, too,” Jones said.

One is Cael Valencia, who defeated Oregon State’s 23rd-ranked Aaron Olmus. 

“He has some new-found confidence and is believing in his skill, and he’s believing in his skill and his conditioning has been back,” Jones said. 

“Even (Max) Willner (157), although he’s not turning it into wins yet, every match he’s getting closer and closer to turning some of those losses into wins and I think he’s coming on at the right time. So, yeah, I feel good about that.”

ASU has done well since an upset loss to Cal Poly on Jan. 20, reeling off wins against Stanford, Lehigh, Little Rock and Oregon State. 

The match in Corvallis, Oregon, was one that the Sun Devils needed, Jones said. 

“It’s a dual meet that is important to the kids because it’s a Pac-12 match and there’s a lot of Arizona State on other side of that bench that was with us, and that motivates the kids a little more,” he said. 

“And I think, bottom line, is they are believing in where they’re at. They’re believing in their skill and their conditioning … the team’s in great shape. Those things I think have been really good. They just felt they’re a better team … and they still want to get their hand raised.”

The Sun Devils will be heavy favorites against a 1-10 Cal State Bakersfield team on Thursday, and there are several intriguing matchups against second-ranked Nebraska (11-3) awaiting the Sun Devils on Sunday in Lincoln.

Two of the first four bouts are ASU’s seventh-ranked Brandon Courtney against Nebraska’s third-ranked Liam Cronin at 125 and the Sun Devils’ 15th-ranked Jesse Vasquez against the Cornhuskers’ fourth-ranked Brock Hardy at 141. ASU is a heavy favorite at 133 with #4 Michael McGee and at 149 with #5 Kyle Parco before Nebraska counters with top-ranked Peyton Robb at 157.

“I want to see that we’re continuing to improve,” Jones said. “Everybody’s got information from November and December and those that in January who make the improvements the fastest will do the best in March. I think we have shown in January and February and we’re making the adjustments that we learned from November and December.

“I just want to continue to see that, see our guys getting better as we head into our last couple of dual meets and be healthy and ready to go, so when we get to the Pac-12 championships we’ll be ready to compete.”

It’s a balanced lineup that can carry a team through a dual-meet season. It’s a star-studded lineup that perhaps includes a surprise effort or two that creates the headlines in the postseason. Jones is optimistic that ASU can make that happen.

“I think so. I really think if we get Max (Willner), Cael (Valencia) and even Anthony (Montalvo), because we were getting him healthy, too, rolling in the right direction, and you add that to the five other guys, that changes the team,” he said. “We’d go from five strong to eight strong … nine strong. Then we’re a significantly different team.

“And we’re doing that with really good guys (Norfleet, Teemer) out of the lineup. I think they’re turning the corner at the right time, and they need to continue to do that. If they do, those guys can end up at the NCAA tournament, and if you get there, anything can happen.”

The Sun Devils have two weeks off after Sunday’s trip to Lincoln to prepare for the Pac-12 — actually the Pac-6 — event scheduled for March 5 at Stanford.