Maybe Elon is this year's Fresno State

Once around the horn, through the 64-team NCAA Baseball Tournament field announced Monday and back to Jumpin' Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

--The Case for The Citadel: Of course, the Southern Conference deserved a third team in the NCAA Tournament (to go with Elon and Georgia Southern). The gantlet league consistently was rated seventh-best in the nation. The Bulldogs (37-22) won 11 of their last 13 SoCon games.

Tim Weiser, the NCAA Selection Committee chairman and a Big 12 Conference deputy commissioner, said Monday picking teams is "more of an art than a science."

Huh? What about math?

The Citadel went 7-4 against the Ratings Percentage Index top 50, including 3-2 vs. Elon, 2-0 vs. South Carolina and 2-1 vs. Georgia Southern — all No. 2 seeds in the NCAA field.

--The Case Against The Citadel: If it would please the court, the NCAA Selection Committee would like to present the Bulldogs' bad losses. Savannah State. USC Upstate. Presbyterian.

--South, East and North Carolina: If the Gamecocks can win at East Carolina, they probably get a free super regional trip to Chapel Hill, where first-year South Carolina recruiting coordinator Chad Holbrook will face Dustin Ackley, Alex White and other big league prospects he helped sign for North Carolina.

Do you think freshman outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and friends are too young to know South Carolina is not supposed to advance?

--Pulling for Oral Roberts: If Clemson wins its Kyle Parker Invitational Regional and Arizona State advances, the Tigers will embark on their longest trip in the super regional era.

103 mph fastball

--Why not Elon? No one doubts the spirit of a program once nicknamed the Fighting Christians, or the talent. This is the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 for the Phoenix and if Fresno State won the College World Series as a No. 4 seed in 2008, Elon is at least good enough for Omaha.

--Best new Carolinas rivalry: UNC ousted Coastal Carolina in a super regional last June and the teams had a testy regular season clash.

--Yes, Virginia, he throws 103 mph: The Cavaliers, the No. 2 seed at UC Irvine, probably will draw San Diego State ace Stephen Strasburg in the opener. Strasburg regularly hits 100 on the radar gun and easily is the top talent available in the 2009 draft.

--Beantown's party-crashers: A scheduling snafu dashed the ACC's plans to hold its 2009 tournament at Fenway Park, where the league was hoping to spread the good news of college baseball in a pro sports market. Instead, Boston College has capped a surprising season with a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance in 42 years.

--Citadel North: Louisville, with former Citadel infielder Dan McDonnell as head coach, is a first-time regional host. But McDonnell's Cardinals hosted and defeated Oklahoma State in a 2007 super regional to advance to the College World Series.

--The College of Charleston's downfall: Clearly, losing three to The Citadel to end the regular season. The Cougars slipped off the bubble with a thud. Too bad SoCon Player of the Year Joey Bergman won't get a chance to shine on the big stage, but first-year head coach Monte Lee did a fine job (35-22) in a tough league and is making progress on the recruiting trail.

The best No. 4

--Overachieving O'Sullivan: Florida was not in Baseball America's preseason Top 25 but former Clemson pitching coach Kevin O'Sullivan's Gators are hosting a regional as the No. 8 overall national seed.

--Backing in: Georgia lost 13 of its last 17 games, Arkansas 10 of its last 13.

--Among the things the NCAA's baseball tournament has over its basketball tournament: No play-in game!

--Sunshine showdown: Miami has to leave the friendly confines of brand new Alex Rodriguez Park to play at Florida as a No. 2 seed. But the Hurricanes swept the Gators in Gainesville in a three-game series early in the season.

--The top No. 4 seed in the field: With Fresno State's stunning run to the NCAA title last year, you have to wonder.

Probably not Army, Monmouth, Bethune-Cookman or Dartmouth.

Definitely not Tennessee Tech, Marist, Sam Houston or Indiana.

Yes, Fresno State.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or 937-5593.