It's safe to say LSU is back to being, well, LSU.

The Paul Mainieri era at LSU got off to a bit of a slow start, but the last two seasons have transpired like a story out of a dream. The Tigers set the SEC consecutive wins record two seasons ago and took the ultimate step forward last season.

LSU won its sixth national title last season with a triumph over Texas.

Now the Tigers move forward as the most hunted team in America.

LSU welcomes back a plethora of key hitters at the plate, but still must find a way to replace key cogs such as Jared Mitchell, DJ LeMahieu and Ryan Schimpf. On the mound, losing ace pitcher Louis Coleman is a tough pill to swallow, but the Tigers still have arguably the top pitching prospect for the 2010 MLB draft, junior Anthony Ranaudo.

The Tigers appear to once again be in great shape.

It's time to dissect their club.

LSU's five fall keys

1. Don't get complacent -- I get the feeling we won't have to worry about this too much with a program like LSU, but it's certainly something to think about and avoid. The Tigers made a huge statement on the national stage last season by winning their sixth national title. Now LSU needs to build off that accomplishment and show the nation its ready to return to the top of the college baseball world on a consistent basis. There are teams that tend to get complacent when they win a national title. They feel as if they're owed something. It will be Paul Mainieri's job to make sure that doesn't happen. We don't think it will, though.

2. Replace key leader and pitcher Louis Coleman -- Coach Mainieri told me during the LSU and Georgia series last season that Coleman was made for big-time moments. Well, there's no question the Tigers will miss Coleman in the spring, both from a leadership and production standpoint. Coleman decided to return for his senior campaign last season and didn't skip a beat. He made 25 appearances and started 16 games. He compiled a great 14-2 record and had a 2.93 ERA in 129 innings. He also struck out 142 and walked 23 and opponents hit him at a .224 clip. From a leadership standpoint, Coleman always was a guy the Tigers could lean on in clutch situations. They will miss him, but now can lean on Matty Ott, Anthony Ranaudo and others.

3. Figure out the weekend rotation -- The Tigers certainly have their staff ace on the weekend in junior right-hander Anthony Ranaudo. However, the rest of the weekend rotation is in limbo with just a few months separating us from the season. Ranaudo finished last season with a 3.04 ERA in 124 1/3 innings and held teams to a .209 batting average. But outside of the righty, the Tigers have some questions to answer. For instance, Mainieri insists that junior righty Austin Ross will stay in the rotation. He was inconsistent last season and ended the campaign with a 5.18 ERA in 83 1/3 innings. Even more startling is the fact teams hit Ross at a .305 clip. Candidates for the third and final spot in the rotation include Chris Matulis, who had a 4.82 ERA in 46 2/3 innings last season, and a pair of transfers in Mitch Mormann and Joey Bourgeois. LSU is in business if the weekend rotation outside of Ranaudo steps up.

4. Reload at the plate -- The Tigers have some incredibly tough holes to fill at the plate with the departures of Jared Mitchell, DJ LeMahieu, Ryan Schimpf and Sean Ochinko, but still are in decent shape entering the spring. Mitchell, Ochinko, LeMahieu and Schimpf each finished last season with batting averages better than .326. That's pretty impressive. LSU welcomes back power hitter Blake Dean, Tyler Hanover, Mikie Mahtook, Leon Landry, Micah Gibbs and Austin Nola. Dean's return for his senior season is huge after finishing last season with a .328 batting average, 17 homers and 71 RBIs. Hanover batted .321 with five homers and 47 RBIs last season, Mahtook, a fantastic athlete, batted .316 with seven homers and 38 RBIs, Landry batted .300 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs, Gibbs batted .294 with six homers and 42 RBIs and Nola batted .240 with three homers and 18 RBIs. The Tigers lost some versatile with their departures, but still have a solid lineup with some power hitters leading the way. Dean's return, though, is the key to this team.

5. Sort out the bullpen roles -- The Tigers may have some questions to answer in their weekend rotation, but the bullpen appears to be in great shape. Sophomore Matty Ott returns as closer after having a sensational freshman campaign. Ott recorded 16 saves last season and had a 2.68 ERA in 50 1/3 innings. The Tigers also welcome back Chad Jones, Daniel Bradshaw and Paul Bertuccini. Additionally, at least one pitcher out of Matulis, Mormann and Bourgeois also will be in the bullpen. Jones, Bradshaw and Bertuccini each finished last season with an ERA below four. Even if the Tigers have some issues with the weekend rotation to start the spring, the bullpen appears to be more than ready to take on more innings.