Long Beach State hopes the spring will bring a return to normalcy.

The Dirtbags are a perennial regional contender. But last season, the program took a small step back by finishing 25-29 with an unimpressive 11-13 mark in the Big West.

Most important, though, is the fact they failed to make an NCAA regional.

The Beach hopes the regional hiatus is short lived. It should be.

The Dirtbags welcome back six hitters that finished last season with batting averages better than .300. They also welcome back a pair of weekend starting pitchers in Jake Thompson and Andrew Gagnon. The bullpen, though, is a concern.

In addition to the player personnel the Beach welcomes back in the spring, the return of pitching coach Troy Buckley also is a much needed boost. Buckley, of course, was very instrumental to the Dirbags' success earlier this decade.

It's time to dissect the Dirtbags.

Long Beach State's five keys

1. Forget about last season -- Long Beach State is a perennial regional contender and shouldn't get deterred by what transpired last season. As coach Mike Weathers told me during the offseason, what occurred last season is not typical of his program. Last season was last season and I fully expect the Dirtbags to turn the page sooner rather than later. With a plethora of key cogs back at the plate in the spring, the Dirtbags will have the leadership and experience needed to make some noise. The Big West, though, will be incredibly difficult with UC Irvine, Fullerton and Cal Poly all expected to be solid.

2. Show more progress at the plate -- The Dirtbags welcome back seven hitters that earned significant playing time last season. They're most excited about the return of Steve Tinoco, TJ Mittelstaedt, Jordan Casas, Devin Lohman, Derek Legg and Jonathan Jones, which all finished last season with batting averages better than .300. It also will be interesting to see what Kellen Hoime and freshman Juan Avila bring to the table. The Dirtbags also will usher in the Joey Terdoslavich era at Long Beach State. Terdoslavich was a highly touted player at Miami a few seasons ago, but sat out last season because of the new transfer rule. He could provide a huge boost to the LBSU lineup. There's no reason for this unit not to best last season's .289 batting average.

3. Starting pitching must improve -- There's no question that Long Beach State's starting pitching must improve between now and the spring. The Dirtbags had a solid ace pitcher in Adam Wilk last season. Wilk, however, has since signed a professional contract. He ended last season with a 2.78 ERA in 94 innings. The returning starters for LBSU include Jake Thompson and Andrew Gagnon. Thompson started 14 games last season and had a 5.61 ERA in 85 innings. He also struck out 42 and walked 13 and opponents hit him at a high .302 clip. Gagnon, meanwhile, started 13 games and compiled a 6.32 ERA in 72 2/3 innings. He struck out 44 and walked 23 and teams hit .327 off him. LBSU needs Gagnon and Thompson to rise to the occasion. If not, others must fill the voids.

4. Create quality bullpen depth -- The Dirtbags have some work to do in the bullpen without top relievers David Born, Anthony Carrillo, Charlie Ruiz and Dustin Rasco. Born finished last season with an ERA under three and led the team in appearances. Carrillo, Ruiz and Rasco also compiled solid numbers. That leaves the Dirtbags with Jason Markovitz, David Brown and Josh Corrales as their top returnees. Markovitz made 18 appearances last season and had a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. He also struck out 15 and walked nine and limited opposing teams to a .304 batting average. Brown had a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings and Corrales had a 6.64 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. The Beach will need more arms. Perhaps newcomers such as Jordan Mejia, Eddie Magallon, Tommy Nance, Cris Trout, Troy Watson and Nate Underwood can provide a boost. If not, the Dirtbags definitely will need the starters to step up.

5. Embrace the return of Troy Buckley -- The Dirtbags received a tough blow a few years ago when Buckley decided to leave the program to take a high-end job with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Buckley, though, has returned to Long Beach State as pitching coach. He will not return to his old post as recruiting coordinator. Still, his return is huge for a program that missed the postseason in '09. Buckley is an excellent pitching coach and the Dirtbags should reap the benefits of his return. It's time to embrace his return to Blair Field. It will be particularly interesting to see if the pitching staff improves in the coming months.