It's obvious John Pawlowski's rebuilding project at Auburn will take some time.

In just his first season at Auburn last spring, Pawlowski guided the Tigers to a 31-25 record. However, his squad finished SEC play with an 11-19 mark and near the bottom of the league standings.

Pawlowski made the move from College of Charleston to Auburn to turn the Tigers into a consistent SEC title contender. That, of course, goes with being a national contender.

Can year two be a huge step forward for Auburn?

It certainly looks like a possibility.

The Tigers have much work to do in the consistency department on the mound. But they welcome back almost every key pitcher, including three starting pitchers.

At the plate, replacing Joseph Sanders won't be easy. However, they welcome back five key hitters from a lineup that finished last season with a .286 batting average.

Auburn may not win the SEC in 2010, but there's absolutely no question it should be much better in every facet.

So, what needs to change?

Auburn's five fall keys

1. Create a winning attitude -- When it comes to successful teams, all have a familiar trait -- they believe they can win no matter the situation or inning. Auburn took a step forward last season by at least finishing the season with 30-plus wins. However, it still has a ways to go in terms of creating a winning attitude. The Tigers need to find a few more leaders and get off to a hot start in the spring. But most important, this is a program that hasn't performed well in SEC play the past few seasons. That needs to change sooner rather than later. Taking care of business on the field is important. Attitude, though, also is an important aspect.

2. Improve the pitching staff -- Even with the return of several pitchers this fall, the Tigers still have much work to do on the mound between now and the spring. They finished last season with a 6.12 ERA, which was good enough for 163rd in the country. That is not acceptable to coach Pawlowski. We'll get to the starting pitchers, but the Tigers welcome back several relievers, including Austin Hubbard, Bradley Hendrix, Ty Kelley and Michael Hurst. Hubbard made 25 appearances last season and had a 4.20 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. He also earned 12 saves. Hendrix made 24 appearances and had a 5.09 ERA in 46 innings, Kelley made 11 appearances and had a 4.81 ERA in 24 1/3 innings and Hurst made 16 appearances and had a 4.94 ERA in 23 2/3 innings. These guys must rise to the occasion if the Tigers are going to transform things on the mound.

3. Weekend rotation must improve -- The weekend rotation will be the key to year two for Pawlowski and his coaching staff. This area must improve with Jon Luke Jacobs, Grant Dayton and Dexter Price leading the way. All three pitchers finished last season with ERA's over five. That's not good in the SEC. Jacobs started 13 games and had a 5.74 ERA in 69 innings, Dayton made 13 starts and had a 5.92 ERA in 73 innings and Price made 11 starts and had a dismal 6.04 ERA in 50 2/3 innings. It'll be interesting to see how much progress Auburn makes in this department between now and the spring.

4. Meet expectations at the plate -- Even without stud hitter Joseph Sanders, who signed a pro contract this past summer, the Tigers should have a solid offense in '10. They ended last season with a .286 batting average and welcome back key hitters, including Justin Hargett, Brian Fletcher, Trent Mummey, Casey McElroy and Hunter Morris. Hargett batted .330 with four homers and 31 RBIs last season, Fletcher hit .301 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs, Mummey hit .289 with 15 homers and 42 RBIs, McElroy hit .286 with seven homers and 35 RBIs and Morris batted .282 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs. The Tigers welcome back a lot of power and I get the feeling Morris will have a huge spring. Watch out for this offense in '10.

5. Focus on the little things first -- In the day and age when fans and administrators alike want instant results, it's time for the Tigers to take a step back and assess their situation. This program isn't going to become an SEC and national title contender overnight, but it can make enough improvements the next two seasons to set the foundation for a very bright future. That means focusing on doing the little things right. Auburn needs to establish consistency on the mound and at the plate. It also needs to work on improving defensively after finishing 60th in the category last season. It'll be interesting to see how much Auburn improves from year one to year two in the Pawlowski era.