2024-25: Redshirt junior … Competed at 197 lbs … Finished the year ranked No. 20 by InterMat with a 20-12 overall record … Placed second in the open division at the Michigan State Open (11/11) … Opened dual play with a 15-6 win by major decision over Northern Illinois’s Spencer Mooberry … Defeated South Dakota State’s No. 22 Zach Glazier in an 8-2 decision en route to a third-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational (12/06) … Took down a total of nine ranked opponents … Earned his second consecutive NCAA Championship berth with a 15-0 win by technical fall over Maryland's Chase Mielnik (3/08) … Picked up a win at the NCAA Championships (3/20-21), churning out an upset 13-10 win by decision over Stanford’s No. 25 Nick Stemmet.
2023-24: Redshirt sophomore ... Saw action exclusively at 197 lbs, posting a 13-15 overall record ... Posted bonus-point wins in five matches ... Opened year with a runner-up finish at the Michigan State Open (11/11) ... Upended The Citadel's Patrick Brophy (12/1-2) by decision, 10-5, at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Came away with a pair of wins at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (12/29-30) ... Closed the year with a flurry, going 4-2 across his final six appearances of the regular season ... Downed Joshua Otto by decision, 9-2, in dual meet at Wisconsin (2/2) ... Dispatched Purdue's Ben Vanadia (2/9), 11-4 ... Grinded out a 2-0 decision win over No. 33 Gabe Sollars to help lead the 'Cats to a win over No. 23 Indiana (2/18) ... Followed up that performance with a dominant 22-6 win by technical fall over Illinois' Isaiah Pettigrew (2/18) ... Opened Big Ten Championships (3/9-10) with a win by fall (1:51) over Vanadia ... Punched ticket to NCAA Championships with an 8-3 decision against Sollars in consolation round ... Was victorious in NCAA Championships (3/21-23) debut, battling to a 4-3 decision win against Franklin & Marshall's John Crawford.
2022-23: Redshirt first-year ... Opened the year competing at 197 lbs before moving down to 184 lbs ... Finished the year with a 19-18 record, winning seven bouts by major decision ... In his debut at 184 lbs, notched a pair of wins by major decision en route to placing eighth at the Midlands Championships (12/29-30) ... Put up back-to-back wins by major decision to close the regular season, blanking Northern Illinois' Matt Zuber, 8-0 (2/10), ahead of an 11-3 win over Purdue's Ben Vanadia (2/12), his first in Big Ten Conference dual action ... Picked up a pair of decision wins over Maryland's Kevin Makosy ahead of an 11-3 major decision against Wisconsin's Tyler Dow at the Big Ten Championships (3/4-5).
2021-22: First-year ... Competed unattached at 197 lbs ... Closed the year at 17-3 ... Picked up 11 wins by fall ... Was dominant at the Michigan State Open (11/6), winning all four of his bouts by fall, including triumphs over Big Ten foes Joe Braunagel (Illinois) and Jacob Lee (Michigan State) ... Went 5-1 at the Lindenwood Open (11/20), picking up four pinfall wins ... Added four victories at the Cleveland State Open (12/11), highlighted by a 7-3 decision over Bobby Striggow (Michigan) ... Finished 4-1 at the Loras Open (1/29)
High School: Earned varsity letters all four years for wrestling at Chesterton High School with a combined 124-12 record through three seasons with the Trojans … Posted a 42-1 record his junior season … Earned Indiana Class 3A All-State honors following both his sophomore and junior seasons, also winning Team MVP in both seasons … Three-time All-Region honoree ... Wrestled for Chesterton Wrestling Club team from ages 8-14.
Personal: Born Evan James Bates … Son of James and Ann Bates … Grandfather played college football at Illinois State … Wrestled with former Wildcats Lucas Davison and Jack Tolin in high school … Chose Northwestern over Indiana and Cornell ... Anticipated major at Northwestern is Engineering.
2023-24: Redshirt sophomore ... Saw action exclusively at 197 lbs, posting a 13-15 overall record ... Posted bonus-point wins in five matches ... Opened year with a runner-up finish at the Michigan State Open (11/11) ... Upended The Citadel's Patrick Brophy (12/1-2) by decision, 10-5, at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Came away with a pair of wins at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (12/29-30) ... Closed the year with a flurry, going 4-2 across his final six appearances of the regular season ... Downed Joshua Otto by decision, 9-2, in dual meet at Wisconsin (2/2) ... Dispatched Purdue's Ben Vanadia (2/9), 11-4 ... Grinded out a 2-0 decision win over No. 33 Gabe Sollars to help lead the 'Cats to a win over No. 23 Indiana (2/18) ... Followed up that performance with a dominant 22-6 win by technical fall over Illinois' Isaiah Pettigrew (2/18) ... Opened Big Ten Championships (3/9-10) with a win by fall (1:51) over Vanadia ... Punched ticket to NCAA Championships with an 8-3 decision against Sollars in consolation round ... Was victorious in NCAA Championships (3/21-23) debut, battling to a 4-3 decision win against Franklin & Marshall's John Crawford.
2022-23: Redshirt first-year ... Opened the year competing at 197 lbs before moving down to 184 lbs ... Finished the year with a 19-18 record, winning seven bouts by major decision ... In his debut at 184 lbs, notched a pair of wins by major decision en route to placing eighth at the Midlands Championships (12/29-30) ... Put up back-to-back wins by major decision to close the regular season, blanking Northern Illinois' Matt Zuber, 8-0 (2/10), ahead of an 11-3 win over Purdue's Ben Vanadia (2/12), his first in Big Ten Conference dual action ... Picked up a pair of decision wins over Maryland's Kevin Makosy ahead of an 11-3 major decision against Wisconsin's Tyler Dow at the Big Ten Championships (3/4-5).
2021-22: First-year ... Competed unattached at 197 lbs ... Closed the year at 17-3 ... Picked up 11 wins by fall ... Was dominant at the Michigan State Open (11/6), winning all four of his bouts by fall, including triumphs over Big Ten foes Joe Braunagel (Illinois) and Jacob Lee (Michigan State) ... Went 5-1 at the Lindenwood Open (11/20), picking up four pinfall wins ... Added four victories at the Cleveland State Open (12/11), highlighted by a 7-3 decision over Bobby Striggow (Michigan) ... Finished 4-1 at the Loras Open (1/29)
High School: Earned varsity letters all four years for wrestling at Chesterton High School with a combined 124-12 record through three seasons with the Trojans … Posted a 42-1 record his junior season … Earned Indiana Class 3A All-State honors following both his sophomore and junior seasons, also winning Team MVP in both seasons … Three-time All-Region honoree ... Wrestled for Chesterton Wrestling Club team from ages 8-14.
Personal: Born Evan James Bates … Son of James and Ann Bates … Grandfather played college football at Illinois State … Wrestled with former Wildcats Lucas Davison and Jack Tolin in high school … Chose Northwestern over Indiana and Cornell ... Anticipated major at Northwestern is Engineering.
| Season | Overall W-L | Dual Meet W-L | Big Ten W-L |
Dual Points For-Against | Big Ten Champs. W-L |
NCAA Champs |
Pins For-Against | Tech Falls For-Against | Major Dec. For-Against |
| 2021-22 | 17-3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11-1 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| 2022-23 | 19-18 | 2-6 | 1-6 | 8-21 | 3-3 | -- | 1-2 | 2-0 | 7-5 |
| 2023-24 | 13-15 | 5-5 | 4-4 | 18-21 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
| 2024-2025 | 20-12 | 6-5 | 4-4 | 28-21 | 3-2 | 1-2 | 5-2 | 5-1 | 3-1 |
| Career | 69-48 | 13-16 | 9-14 | 54-63 | 8-8 | 2-4 | 18-5 | 10-7 | 13-12 |