The preliminary seeds, as voted by each of the Big Ten’s coaches, rank the top eight wrestlers in five weight classes, along with all 14 starters in five weight classes because of the conference acquiring nine or more NCAA Championships qualifier spots in those classes.

Ohio State University and Penn State University have the most top-seeded wrestlers with three and four other schools have at least one top-seeded wrestler.

Gasca and Hughes were the only Spartans to be given top-eight pre-seeds.

Gasca, a California native, was given a No. 7 seed and is the highest seeded Spartan in the tournament.

He is MSU’s lone returning NCAA Championships qualifier and will enter this weekend with a 24-7 overall record, which marks his second-straight 20-win season.

Gasca, who has won 12 of his last 17 matches, is currently ranked No. 20 by TrackWrestling and TheOpenMat.com.

The junior is also tied for the most dual wins with 10 and is tied for second in falls with seven.

Hughes, a No. 8 pre-seed, enters the Big Ten Tournament having won 17 of his last 22 matches and has won by a shutout in 11 of his last victories.

He is ranked No. 16 by TheOpenMat.com and currently is tied for a team-high 10 dual wins, tied for second in falls with seven and owns sole possession of second on the team in overall wins with 22 victories, dual points with 40 and technical falls with six.

On Dec. 20, Hughes was named the BIg Ten Wrestler of the Week and became the first Spartan wrestler to earn that accolade since Michael McClure on Dec. 18, 2012.

Session I of the Big Ten Championships is slated to commence at 10 a.m. Saturday from Indiana's Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.