After winning back-to-back national titles in 2006 and '07, Oregon State was shocked when it was snubbed from the NCAA postseason in '08.

The Beavers made sure they returned to an NCAA regional last season.

OSU finished high in the Pac-10 standings with a 15-12 record and ended the season with an impressive 37-19 record. But this is a program that now prides itself on getting back to the College World Series on a consistent basis.

Last season may have been a decent campaign. OSU coach Pat Casey expects better, though.

The Beavers have a great chance of returning to Omaha in '10.

They must replace a couple key hitters at the plate, but welcome back at least seven hitters that earned signiifcant playing time last season. The Beavers will be exceptional on the mound with the return of all three weekend starters and a plethora of relievers.

It's time to dissect the Beavers as fall workouts come to a close.

Oregon State's five fall keys

1. Adequately replace catcher Ryan Ortiz -- The Beavers suffered a tough blow this past summer when the outstanding catcher decided to sign a pro contract. He was a leader on and off the field and finished last season with a .352 batting average, 17 doubles, five homers and 45 RBIs. He also had an impressive .454 on-base percentage. Behind the plate, Ortiz committed just two errors the entire season. Perhaps the Beavers have the perfect replacement in freshman Andrew Susac. Susac was a 16th-round selection of the Phillies in the MLB draft this past summer and is an outstanding defensive catcher. It'll be interesting, though, to see how quick he makes the transition to Division I baseball. Replacing Ortiz will be difficult, but Susac can help the Beavers forget about him sooner rather than later.

2. Greatly improve offensively -- Even with a .278 team batting average last season, the Beavers still found a way to win 37 games and reach the Fort Worth Regional final. Just imagine if OSU had finished last season with an average of .300 or better. The Beavers hope to greatly improve at the plate in the spring. Accomplishing that goal shouldn't be too hard with the return of consistent hitters Jared Norris and Adalberto Santos and five other experienced hitters, including Michael Miller, Carter Bell, Stefen Romero, John Tommasini and Rob Folsom. Only Norris and Santos finished last season with batting averages better than .300. Norris batted .331 with three homers and 36 RBIs and Santos batted .320 with four homers and 43 RBIs. This unit as a whole, though, must improve.

3. Weekend rotation must meet expectations -- The Beavers expect to have one of the Pac-10's best rotations in the spring. There's a reason for the confidence. OSU welcomes back sophomore Sam Gaviglio and juniors Tyler Waldron and Greg Peavey. All three have an immense amount of talent. Gaviglio shined as a first-year player last season. He put together a 10-1 record and had a 2.73 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. He also struck out 55 and walked 9 and opposing teams hit him at a .200 clip. Waldron, meanwhile, was 6-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 93 1/3 innings. He struck out 70 and walked 31 and teams hit him at a .265 clip. There's also Peavey, who compiled a 5.74 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. There also are other potential weekend starters on the staff. The Beavers likely will host another regional if this unit meets expectations.

4. Sort out the bullpen roles -- The Beavers have a great problem. They have several talented pitchers in the bullpen with only a few big roles. Closer Kevin Rhoderick returns after recording nine saves in 23 appearances and 23 2/3 innings last season. OSU also welcomes back Josh Osich, Kraig Sitton, Ryan Gorton and James Nygren. Osich made 17 appearances and had a 2.05 ERA last season, Sitton had a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings, Gorton had a 1.97 ERA in 32 innings and Nygren had a 4.45 ERA in 30 1/3 innings. There also is Tanner Robles, who made nine appearances and eight starts and had a 4.75 ERA in 36 innings. Also joining the mix is newcomer Tony Bryant, who immediately could factor into the equation. It'll be interesting to see how this unit shakes out once the spring season begins.

5. Find some power at the plate -- Perhaps the Beavers enjoy playing a smaller brand of baseball, but the teams that won national titles had at least a couple power hitters on the roster. This team currently appears to have very little power. Ortiz and Romero led the team with five homers each last season. Ortiz is gone and Romero is back. But outside of those two, the Beavers had just two hitters with more than a home run. It would make life much easier on the pitching staff if OSU could find more power production in '10.