The pair finished first and second in last week’s All-Star race, also at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. What are the odds?

If you really think about this it seems unlikely that the same two drivers would finish first and second in consecutive weeks at the same tracks. I guess they just have the track mastered and their pit crews did nice work in keeping their cars ready.

I had a great week in my fantasy NASCAR league even though I didn’t start either driver. Instead I started Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished fifth and Kyle Busch who ended up third, both good finishes in terms of points for my league. My picks helped me leapfrog from third to first place.

A recurring issue in Major League Baseball has come to the front of conversations around the diamond this season. That’s the issue of instant replay and whether or not baseball should adopt it.

My opinion is that the league absolutely should. It is a shame when we’ve seen several incorrect calls made about home runs. Was it over the wall was it not? Why not just use instant replay to make sure it’s right. Teams are losing games over these bad calls. I don’t want it to be used for everything, but I think fair and foul balls and home run is a good line to draw.

I hope commissioner Bud Selig hurries up and gets this done. I don’t want to have to see any more blown calls that decide games.

I attended Elon University’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show viewing party Monday and it was pretty cool watching the seeds unveiled on ESPN.

Of course the room erupted when Elon was announced as the No. 3 seed in the Cary region, hosted by the North Carolina Tar Heels, but not as loud as you’d think.

The vibe was that the Phoenix wanted to go elsewhere, somewhere more exotic and exciting, but it’ll settle for Cary. And one would have to think Elon would be disappointed in a No. 2 seed seeing that it won the regular season and conference tournament titles. But, either way, it stands a good shot at making some noise since it beat the top seed in the region 2-0 earlier this year in Cary.

Elon opens with UNC Wilmington, the No. 2 seed on Friday at 2 p.m. The Phoenix split the season series with the Seahawks 1-1 with each team winning on the road.

I brought the video camera over and captured some game highlights  from Elon University’s non-league tilt with Wake Forest. The only problem with Tuesday was that I left the game way too early.

I took off with Elon leading 8-5 and in control because I needed to go back and edit the video and get it posted online before a dinner date.

In the middle of editing I see on statracker that Wake Forest had taken a 12-9 lead. That changed things in my video since I had some good stuff of Elon scoring runs and taking the lead which I had hoped would hold.

So, I finished editing while monitoring the statracker. Elon tied things up at 12 in the seventh, and then gave up the lead again in the eighth only to take it back again for good in the bottom of the ninth to earn a walkoff 16-15 win.

It was a wild finish which would have been much more exciting in person than over the World Wide Web, but there was nothing I could do about it.

The victory was big for Elon because a loss would have hurt its strength of schedule with the Demon Deacons having an off year. It also gave Elon its 39th victory. The Phoenix should and better win at least one game in the Southern Conference Tournament next week which would put it over 40 wins. That number isn’t a lock, but it puts Elon in good position for an at-large big to the NCAA Tournament if it can’t win the conference tourney.

Baseball America has Elon in the field of 64 right now as a No. 3 seed in the Cary bracket with host North Carolina as the No. 1 seed. I like this bracket for Elon. It would include a first-round matchup with UNC Wilmington which Elon split its regular-season series with. And of course Elon upset the Tar Heels on the road earlier this year as well.

But, let’s not jump the gun. Elon still has to have a good week down in Charleston, SC next week in the conference tourney. And one thing Elon might be worried about is its ace, Steven Hensley. He got lit up in his start Tuesday and only last two inning, getting yanked at the beginning of the third after allowing five runs, including a towering three-run home run.

If Hensley finds his rhythm, which he has for 90 percent of this year, Elon should be in good shape, but the rest of its pitching staff has been horrendous. The offense will have to carry Elon in both the conference and NCAA Tournaments if it wants to go deep. As an Elon alumnus, I hope that it can.

Elon (38-16, 19-8) is in prime position for postseason play. I think the Phoenix will earn an at-large bid no matter what happens the rest of the way, but Elon has a good chance at winning an automatic bid at the Southern Conference Tournament in two weeks.

The Phoenix also has a strong chance at capturing the regular-season league crown, but it needs a few things to go its way.

First, Elon needs Furman to lose to of its six remaining league games. The Paladins are currently in first place and have three games with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern remaining. Elon swept Furman this year so it would win a tie-breaker.

Second, if Furman loses the two games, Elon needs UNC Greensboro to lose one of its six games. UNCG has three games against Georgia Southern and three against last-place Davidson. Then Elon would also win a tiebreaker, having beaten the Spartans two out of three a few weeks ago.

If it wins out, College of Charleston has a slim chance to tie Elon for the league crown if those other two factors happen.

Bottom line, it’s all possible and Elon needs to pull for Georgia Southern to play well to end the season. The Eagles control Elon’s chances at winning another Southern Conference title.

So, I’ve gotten a few e-mails about my blogging absence and I apologize. I’ve been back on the campaign trail the last week with former president Bill Clinton visiting Elon last Wednesday and Sen. Hillary Clinton making a stop in Graham this morning.

To be honest, these campaign stops are wearing me out. I can only imagine how tried both the Clinton family and Barack Obama must be after countless hours, days and weeks straight of campaigning for the democratic presidential nomination.

Both Bill and Hillary have been in and out of North Carolina the last few weekends with the May 6 primary approaching quickly. North Carolina’s primary will matter for the first time in a long time and could be the deciding factor in who takes home the party’s nominee and continues their campaign for the White House.

But back on the sports front. I won’t touch on a whole lot today, but I’ll mention a few things from the weekend.

First off, Elon University took two of three on the road against UNC Greensboro to stay close in the battle for the regular season Southern Conference title.

After losing the first game with ace Steven Hensley on the mound, Elon bounced back and took two close ones against the Spartans. Elon has six conference games remaining, three against Appalachian State and three against Davidson. Both are much lesser teams and Elon should sweep the six games, but of course that’s easier said than done.

The College of Charleston holds a slim winning percentage points advantage over Elon for first place.

For some weird reason, both those remaining conference series take place during the week with doubleheaders.

The NFL Draft took place Saturday and Sunday and as promised I didn’t tune in. I did check the paper Sunday morning to see who went where, caring only for who the Patriots and Panthers drafted and where my boy Matt Ryan of Boston College ended up. Ryan went to the Atlanta Falcons officially ending the Michael Vick era in ATL. Finally.

I heard a funny skit on the radio on the way to work last week about Vick. The radio host pretended to interview Vick from jail, but it was obviously someone impersonating him on the phone. The interview took place with the sound of inmates lifting weights in the background and was pretty hilarious.

Vick talked about how he’s been lifting and staying strong. He said he feels stronger and tougher than ever. He also added that he’d been playing and dominating on the prison football team. The fake Vick also said he’d been writing Falcons owner Arthur Blank a latter a day, trying to show his continued commitment to the Falcons. He said he asked in some letters for Blank to purchase equipment such as a shovel and a garden hose so Vick could escape “Shawshank Redemption” style.

The interview was funny and further pushes Vick’s life into humor than seriousness. I doubt Vick will ever be as successful as he once was.

Of course I’m interested in the draft and who my favorite team the New England Patriots draft, but I don’t care for the ridiculous amount coverage.

This time of year ESPN dedicates its network to the NFL Draft even though the NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing. I’d also much rather watch a college baseball game on ESPN than 20 some odd hours of the draft.

The network will be airing every round and pick of the draft with pregame, postgame analysis. Everything you need to know, don’t need to know and wouldn’t even care to know will be covered this weekend.

I don’t care for the product I just want to see the end result. I’ll glance when it’s all over at who went where.

This weekend I’ll be keeping a close eye on Elon’s baseball team. The Phoenix has a three-game series against UNC Greensboro on the road. The Spartans are hungry to stay in the conference championship race. Right now, Elon, College of Charleston and UNCG all have five losses in the league. Elon is in first because it has more league wins because it has played more games.

This weekend is a big series for the Phoenix. Last weekend Elon dropped two of three from the Cougars which hurt Elon a little bit, but it still controls its own destiny.

Another thing I’m excited for this weekend is Elon’s spring football game. Usually I don’t care for this stuff and prefer to wait until August, but after attending Elon’s road tour in Greensboro last night, I’m excited for the upcoming season.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to attend Saturday’s game at 3 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium, but I’m going to try. Coach Pete Lembo spoke at the event and seemed extremely positive about the team he has for the upcoming season.

Elon returns its two best and most explosive players, QB Scott Riddle and wide receiver Terrell Hudgins. I can’t wait to watch these two go off again this season.

The Phoenix (28-11 overall, 12-3 conference) lost to Western Carolina, High Point and Coastal Carolina, matching its longest losing streak of the season.

This isn’t the best time for Elon to be entering what might its toughest three-game set of the year with a trip to Charleston, SC on tap. Elon begins a series with College of Charleston on Friday.

The Cougars have owned the SoCon in recent years except in 2006 when the Phoenix claimed the regular season crown. College of Charleston did go on to win the conference tournament.

College of Charleston (25-12, 8-4) is coming off a three-game sweep last weekend against Furman and for the first time in a long time, it was the Cougars doing the sweeping. The Paladins took three straight in a major upset. Elon swept Furman earlier this year.

The rest of the season has a lot of road work for the Phoenix, but the competition isn’t all that stiff after College of Charleston. Leaving with a series victory this weekend is crucial for Elon’s hopes at winning another regular season conference title.

Elon plays host to Wake Forest next week at Latham Park in non-conference action which would indeed be a resume builder after taking a hit with the loss to 14-22 High Point on Tuesday.

If Elon can finish strong, an at-large big in the NCAA Tournament is a strong possibility.

While on the subject of baseball, my favorite sport, I should mention Thursday night’s marathon. The Colorado Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres in 22 innings. What a long game, but the more impressive part is the score, especially since neither team scored a run until the 14^th inning.

The game didn’t end until 1:21 a.m. and was the longest game in the majors in 15 years. Petco Park was nearly empty when the game finally ended after 6 hours and 16 minutes.

I can only imagine how horrible it must feel to lose a game after 22 innings. But it must feel just as good to win.

Elon University shutout the No. 4 ranked Tar Heels in college baseball. The win is huge for the Phoenix (26-7) because it’s by far its best victory of the season. Elon has had strong wins against East Carolina and UNC Wilmington already this year, but against a top 5 team is huge.

Elon returns home tonight to take on No. 28 East Carolina. I think if Elon wins and sweeps its weekend series against Western Carolina, I think it should earn a national ranking.

The Phoenix is hot this season and I have high hopes for a NCAA Tournament bid.

March Madness is a special time of the year that everyone seems to enjoy. Filling out your bracket is fun even for those who don’t follow the sport, it becomes a religion.

I’m going to keep today’s blog short and sweet since I’m busy putting together our first online newscast which will air at 4 p.m. today on TheTimesNews.com. Make sure and check it out for updates on the killing of UNC student body president Eve Carson and a preview of the ACC Tournament.

Speaking of, the ACC tips off today in Charlotte. Our poll question on the homepage is where do you think the ACC Tournament should be held?

So far, Greensboro is the overwhelming favorite, followed by Raleigh and Charlotte. I voted for Charlotte which is where this year’s teams are gathering for the big event.

Wake Forest plays Florida State in the early game at noon. It’s guaranteed to be a great tournament with the likely matchup of Duke facing North Carolina for the second time in a week for the championship.

Likely matchup? Yeah right. In these tournaments, nothing is likely. Anything can happen, hence Wake Forest and N.C. State’s recent success despite poor records. Teams become sleepers and then they wake everyone up when they least expect.

I love having big games on during the day too. There’s nothing better than being at work and being able to check for live updates from college hoops games. Our city editor, Brent Lancaster is an N.C. State fan. He told everyone at our morning budet meeting to leave him along between 2-4 p.m. today when the Wolfpack take on Miami.

Our sports reports, Stephen Schramm, Bob Sutton and Adam Smith will be blogging live from the Charlotte Bobcats Arena all weekend, so make sure to check that out. Our sports staff will always does a great job at events like this. Also, photographer Sam Roberts will have photo slideshows every day of fan and game action.

Elon stood one win away from earning its first ever berth into the NCAA Tournament, but with the loss it wasn’t meant to be. The Phoenix fought hard, but it just looked like it ran out of gas at the end.

Shooting just above 35 percent wasn’t going to get it done and unfortunately Elon wasn’t able to crack 50 points in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN2. Despite the loss, Elon fans got what they’ve been waiting for a long time.

We got to see our small private university play on a big stage when it counts. Even though it would’ve been a lot better if Elon had won, we still got there, to the end and almost did the unthinkable. Elon’s run was special and always will be. Winning three games in three days, a fourth in four days was just too much to ask.

I guess I didn’t realize how big a deal it was until last night. I watched the game on Elon’s campus and was amazed at the school spirit for the Phoenix, a pride that the university always lacked. Where students chose shirts and ties over maroon and gold at many sporting events. Where girls wore sunglasses and fancy sun dresses instead of an Elon t-shirt and some face paint.

But not Monday night. Fans were proud of Elon and hung onto their seat after every shot, block and rebound. The crowd erupted after every 3. It was great. The mood after the game wasn’t of disappointment, but of satisfaction and pride. It didn’t matter that Elon had lost because now, for the first time ever, we felt that we belonged there on that national stage. The feeling was of hope that we would get there again some day soon.

The only sad sight was looking at pictures of Elon players after the game. I felt really bad for them and even sad for them, knowing how close they came to reaching their goal. You can see the sadness in their eyes and hearts, feeling their pain.

But looking forward with a positive attitude is the way to go. As I wrote Monday, things are on the way up at Elon. The football team is a contender, the baseball team is consistently good and every other team is falling in line. It’s a good time to be an Phoenix fan.

The Phoenix defeated the College of Charleston 75-61 in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament on Sunday night to advance to tonight’s championship game at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Elon will take on Davidson at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 for the Southern Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. That’s right; Elon has a shot to go to the big dance. I never thought I would actually see the day.

I spent four years as a student and a few as an alumnus, monitoring Elon’s Southern Conference Tournament results, hoping that it could somehow get to the tournament final which is always on ESPN or ESPN2.

I always thought to myself, if it can just get there, to the final, anything can happen. Well, Elon is there and who knows what will come out of tonight’s game. (Check out photos from the tournament)

The university is planning a bus trip to Charleston, SC for Phoenix fans to attend the game and hopefully there will be a good showing. The bus leaves from the Mosley Center parking lot at 2 p.m.

After talking to my friend Dom on Sunday night, the Elon faithful didn’t have much of a presence. He attended the game with some other Elon alumni friends. There were sightings of former Elon players Colin Wyatt, Scottie Rice and Mike Brandon. It’s good to see those guys coming back to support the troops, but other than that not much a showing existed outside of cheerleaders and parents.

On paper, Elon doesn’t stand a chance. The Wildcats (25-6 overall, 20-0 Southern Conference) are ranked No. 25 in the nation. They’re no joke. Their 21-game winning streak is tops in the country and three of their six losses came to top 10 teams, with defeats against North Carolina, Duke and UCLA.

Led by Stephen Curry’s 25.2 points per game, Davidson is the clear favorite. The Wildcats have won the last two Southern Conference Tournament titles and have been impressive in the NCAA Tournament. Last year Davidson gave Maryland a scare before the Terrapins were able to hang on.

How big of a deal is this game? It’s huge. If Elon is able to somehow win, it will be one of the biggest national stories this week. With Elon’s record, 14-18, the Phoenix will probably be the worst team in the bracket of 65 teams; the extra team is included in the play-in-game, where Elon will probably be seeded.

The talk of the country will be if Elon is deserving of a postseason berth seeing that it will bump a team sitting on the bubble with a better record out of the tournament. We’ll save that debate for Tuesday if Elon is to somehow pull off a miracle.

If anyone can beat Davidson though it’s Elon. The Phoenix and Wildcats met earlier in the season at Alumni Gym and Davidson scraped out a 59-57 victory. Elon had the lead down the wire, but Curry came on strong after struggling earlier in the game and sank back-to-back 3-pointers. Davidson rallied from a six-point deficit with 2 1/2 minutes to play.

The Wildcats beat Elon again at home 74-64, led by Curry’s 36. Maybe the third time’s a charm for Elon tonight. We’ll have to wait and see, but after watching Sunday night’s game Elon is riding a wave of emotion. Senior Montel Watson is playing with a ton of heart and energy and seems untouchable on the court.

His energy was fun to watch and I really enjoyed his postgame interview. Knowing Watson personally, it’s great to see him do great things for my alma mater at this late stage in his basketball career. He’s really coming alive and keeping the dream alive for Elon.

Win or lose tonight, it’s a great step in the right direction for Elon. Its women’s basketball team also had a good tournament run, losing to Western Carolina in the semifinals Sunday night. The baseball team swept a home series against North Carolina A&T and improved to 13-1. Things are looking up for Phoenix athletics and it’s an exciting time to be an Elon fan. Go Elon!