Southern Mississippi picked a perfect time to make a trip to the College World Series.

The Golden Eagles had never accomplished the goal before last season. But in Corky Palmer's final campaign as coach, they got red-hot down the stretch, defeated Georgia Tech and Florida in the first two rounds of the NCAA postseason and made it to Omaha.

What an amazing '09 campaign the Golden Eagles had.

Now they hope to build off the trip to Omaha.

The Eagles have several talented hitters and pitchers to replace, but still return some key cogs in both areas.

Kameron Brunty and Joey Archer are the top returning hitters. All-American candidate Todd McInnis will spearhead the pitching staff entering the spring.

USM can make much more noise if the offense rises to the occasion and the weekend rotation is adequate after McInnis.

It's time to dissect the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss' five keys

1. Get some swagger after last season -- The Golden Eagles didn't put together a particularly impressive regular season campaign last season, but rose to the occasion and played exceptionally well the most important time of the season. That was a first for the Eagles. With a trip to Omaha under their belts, the Eagles now hope to establish some consistency when it comes to postseason success. It starts with developing some swagger and an attitude of an elite team. The Eagles certainly have some tough holes to fill in the spring, but swagger and attitude could help them rebuild sooner rather than later.

2. Find a way to replace key hitters -- The Eagles welcome back some solid hitters in the spring, but must find a way to replace four of their top five sluggers. The list of departures includes Bo Davis, Corey Stevens, James Ewing and Brian Dozier. Davis led the team last season with a .359 batting average, 14 homers and 53 RBIs. Stevens batted .320 with eight homers and 60 RBIs, Ewing batted .308 with four homers and 43 RBIs and Dozier was a big-time leader and hitter, batting .391 with 13 doubles, four homers and 39 RBIs. The Eagles will have a tough time replacing this quartet, but it can be done. USM is in business if it can move forward without them.

3. Offense must rise to the occasion -- The Eagles have some work to do on the mound, and that means the offense must rise to the occasion. Though USM is without a talented group of hitters, the silver lining is it returns several seasoned bats. The list of returnees includes Kameron Brunty, Joey Archer, Taylor Walker, Tyler Koelling, Adam Doleac and BA Vollmuth. Brunty batted .336 with seven homers and 53 RBIs last season, Archer batted .306 with 10 homers and 62 RBIs, Walker batted .305 with three homers and 29 RBIs, Koelling batted .269 with two homers and 27 RBIs, Doleac batted .333 in limited action and Vollmuth batted .237 with eight homers and 28 RBIs. This group has the potential to be solid in the spring.

4. Figure out the weekend rotation -- The Eagles will have one of the nation's best ace pitchers in redshirt junior right-hander Todd McInnis, but the rest of the weekend rotation isn't set. McInnis started 18 games last season and had a 3.73 ERA in 101 1/3 innings. He struck out 90 and walked 34 and limited opposing teams to a .253 batting average. Jeff Stanley and Scott Copeland also could be in the weekend rotation. Stanley made six starts last season and had a 4.23 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. He struck out 24 and walked 21 and teams hit .276 off him. Copeland, meanwhile, is a guy the Golden Eagles need to step up in the spring. He compiled an unimpressive 6.41 ERA in 39 1/3 innings. He also struck out 22 and walked 17 and teams hit .324 off him. Also keep an eye on newcomers Mandella Mingo and Ryan MacNamara, who each made statements this fall.

5. Build more quality bullpen depth -- It'll be interesting to see how the USM bullpen fairs in the spring. The Eagles welcome back top reliever Collin Cargill, but don't exactly have a bullpen littered with excellent arms. Cargill made 28 appearances last season and had a 3.55 ERA in 38 innings. He also struck out 32 and walked 22 and limited teams to a .230 batting average. Other returnees include Cody Schlagel, Seth Hester and of course, Stanley and Copeland also could be in the mix as relievers. Schlagel is a guy coach Scott Berry pointed to that needs to step up. He made 26 appearances last season and had a 5.37 ERA in 52 innings. He also struck out 45 and walked 28 and limited teams to a .276 batting average. Hester, meanwhile, made 13 appearances in '09 and had a 7.12 ERA in 36 2/3 innings. He only struck out 18 batters and teams hit .318 off him. As with the weekend starters, Mingo and MacNamara also could factor into the equation.