It's time to see how Cal Poly handles expectations.

The Mustangs haven't exactly been a regional mainstay the past few seasons. But last season, coach Larry Lee's program took a huge step forward by making an NCAA regional and finishing the season with an impressive 37-21 mark.

Now we'll see if the 'Stangs can establish consistency.

The Mustangs should have a potent offense even without Adam Buschini, Kyle Smith, Ryan Lee and Wes Dorrell. The pitching staff, meanwhile, must improve on last season's 5.95 ERA with the return of all three weekend starters.

Cal Poly, as with most teams, has some holes to fill between now and the spring. But this is a team once again expected to make a regional.

It's time to dissect the Mustangs.

Cal Poly's five keys

1. Build off last season -- Cal Poly has been looking for an identity for several seasons. There are past years when the Mustangs felt they deserved an NCAA regional bid. However, the NCAA didn't take notice until last season when they put together a resume that couldn't go unnoticed. Now the Mustangs hope to seize the moment. This is a program that finally has taken a huge step forward. How they handle the situation will be interesting to watch. Conventional wisdom suggests coach Larry Lee and his outstanding coaching staff will have this program ready to take yet another step. But there also is that small chance that Poly returns to a middle-of-the-road Big West program. It's important that CP has another successful campaign.

2. Starting pitching must improve -- The Mustangs are one of few teams around the country that actually returns their entire starting weekend rotation. But that isn't always a good thing if you ask me. This is a unit that must rise to the occasion in the spring. DJ Mauldin is the staff ace and is coming off an OK campaign. He went 5-5 and had a 4.75 ERA in 108 innings last season. However, teams batted .317 off him. Mason Radeke started 11 games last season and compiled a 5.31 ERA in 76 1/3 innings. Teams hit him at a .325 clip. There's also Matt Leonard, who made 14 starts last season and had a 7.68 ERA in 77 1/3 innings. He only struck out 43 batters and teams hit .317 off him. This unit must lower opponents' batting averages in the spring if the team is to move forward.

3. Create some pitching depth -- In addition to the woes the starting pitchers had last season, the Mustangs also must find a way to create some pitching depth. They finished last season with a 5.95 ERA and will enter the spring without top relievers Eric Massingham, Kevin Castner and part-time starter and reliever Jared Eskew. That's not good news. Massingham had a 3.07 ERA. Eskew also put together respectable numbers. Castner, meanwhile, was good at times last season but lacked consistency. At any rate, the departure of this trio means a lot of innings must be eaten up by some arms. That puts much pressure on Mark DeVincenzi, Mark Laugenour and Jeff Johnson to perform. DeVincenzi made 31 appearances last season and had a 4.26 ERA in 57 innings. Laugenour and Johnson, though, each had very unimpressive numbers. This unit must rise to the occasion in the spring. It will take some newcomers to get the job done.

4. Reload at the plate -- The Mustangs will enter the spring without some key hitters, but they're still in good shape with the return of several key cogs from a lineup that finished last season with an impressive .325 batting average. The 'Stangs welcome back five key hitters that ended '09 with batting averages better than .300. The list includes Ross Brayton, Matt Jensen, Bobby Crocker, DJ Gentile and Luke Yoder. Brayton batted .393 with a home run and 28 RBIs last season, Jensen was injured some of last season but still managed to hit .375 with nine homers and 53 RBIs, Crocker batted .323 with five homers and 24 RBIs, Gentile batted .304 with five homers and 41 RBIs and Luke Yoder batted .301 with nine homers and 40 RBIs. CP also welcomes back J.J. Thompson, who hit .292 with seven homers and 41 RBIs. There's no question this should be a good lineup.

5. Get off to a fast start in the spring -- You can't question Larry Lee's schedule for the upcoming season. Boy, it's tough. The Mustangs begin the season against Southern California at home before hitting the road to take on a solid San Francisco team. They then will head to Arizona for a tournament including Arizona State, FIU and Oregon State before returning home for a pair of series against Houston and California. Poly wraps up weekend non-conference action with a three-game series at UCLA. Cal Poly was criticized for its schedule just a few seasons ago. That won't be the case in '10. Even with the toughness of their non-conference schedule, it's important coming off last season that the Mustangs get off to a fast start. They need to set the tone for the season.