When Selection Monday arrived this past May, Tulane coach Rick Jones fully expected to see his team's name scroll across the screen as a regional participant.

That never happened.

The Green Wave finished in a tie for third in Conference USA and also compiled a 34-25 record. The Wave, though, had a less than stellar RPI and that cost them dearly in the eyes of the NCAA Selection Committee.

Now the Green Wave moves forward with a source of extra motivation.

Tulane should have a solid pitching staff with the return of a pair of weekend starters in addition to Robby Broach, who missed last season with an injury.

Offensively, the Green Wave has a few questions to answer. Jeremy Schaffer and Nick Boullosa are solid returnees, as is Rob Segedin who had a great campaign two seasons ago before an injury sidelined him for much of last season. But overall, the Green Wave expect to have one of the youngest lineups in the conference.

This could be a special team if the offense rises to the occasion.

It's time to dissect the Green Wave.

Tulane's five keys

1. Use last season as motivation -- The Green Wave knows they didn't put together the best possible resume to make the postseason last season, but it doesn't diminish the fact they might've deserved to be in a regional for their conference finish. Instead of staying angry about the regional snub, it's time for Tulane to channel that into motivation and hard work for the upcoming season. A hard-nosed attitude can take a team a long way and perhaps the snub will serve as a rallying point for a program some believe may be declining. It'll be interesting to see how Tulane responds in a few months.

2. Get big-time campaigns from Jeremy Schaffer and Rob Segedin -- The Green Wave will enter the spring without five key hitters from last season's team, including Josh Prince, Sam Honeck and Scott Powell, who each finished the campaign with batting averages better than .300. In turn, the Green Wave needs Schaffer and Segedin to meet high expectations. Schaffer batted .311 with eight doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 56 RBIs last season. Segedin, meanwhile, missed much of last season with an injury. But two seasons ago, Segedin batted .322 with 18 doubles, six homers and 59 RBIs. Tulane could be much better at the plate if the dynamic duo meets expectations.

3. Figure out the rest of the offense -- There's no question offense is the biggest concern as the Green Wave prepares for the spring. In addition to Schaffer and Segedin needing to have big campaigns, Tulane also is looking for others to rise to the occasion. Nick Boullosa is another solid returnee. He batted .298 with 10 doubles and 15 RBIs last season. He also was 22-of-30 in stolen bases. Also keep a close eye on freshman shortstop Garrett Cannizaro. Cannizaro had a very strong fall and is a guy Jones and the rest of the coaching staff are excited about. The Green Wave expect to have three or four more freshmen in the lineup before spring arrives. Much of Tulane's success hings on the success of the offense. We'll see if they surprise everyone.

4. Weekend rotation needs to meet expectations -- The Green Wave has a hole to fill with the departure of Josh Zeid, but otherwise is in great shape with the return of starting pitchers Conrad Flynn and Matt Petiton. Flynn started 14 games last season and had a 3.93 ERA in 87 innings. He also struck out 58 and walked seven and held opposing teams to a .267 batting average. Petiton, meanwhile, started 10 games and had a 5.13 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. He struck out 45 and walked 23 and held teams to a .280 batting average. Also keep an eye on Robby Broach, who missed last season but had an impressive fall. Two seasons ago, Broach started 10 games and had a 5.15 ERA in 57 2/3 innings. Teams hit him at a .299 clip.

5. Build more bullpen depth -- The Green Wave welcomes back some talented relievers, but they also have some tough relievers to replace. The list includes Mason Griffin, Taylor Rogers, Aaron Loup and Jonathan Garrett. Those departures put much pressure on Nick Petiton, Ryan Doiron and Preston Claiborne. Petiton made 22 appearances last season and had a 3.26 ERA in 38 2/3 innings. He struck out 42 and walked 16 and held opposing teams to a .250 batting average. Doiron made 20 appearances and had a 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings and Claiborne made 16 appearances and had a 5.67 ERA in 27 innings. Look for freshmen pitchers Kyle McKenzie and Alex Byo to factor into the equation as well. Both could start or relieve. This unit needs more depth, but still should be solid.