Stanford hopes to return to the College World Series in 2010.

The Cardinal made a statement two seasons ago by returning to Omaha after a thrilling super regional win over Cal State Fullerton.

Last season, though, the Cardinal took a huge step back. They finished the season with a 30-25 record and also ended Pac-10 play tied for fifth place.

Given its expectations entering the season, last season was disappointing for Stanford.

Now the Cardinal hopes to return to normalcy.

Stanford welcomes back a pair of weekend starting pitchers and several relievers. It also welcomes back eight hitters that contributed last season.

There's no reason the Cardinal shouldn't return to a regional in the spring.

It's time to dissect Mark Marquess' club.

Stanford's five keys

1. Restore order and an attitude -- It's time for the Cardinal to restore order. They appeared to be in great shape after reaching the CWS two seasons ago. However, they took a step back last season by not even reaching an NCAA regional. Now they must find a way to get back to the postseason. There was a time earlier this decade when the Cardinal had the swagger that consistently propelled to success in the regular season and postseason. That attitude, though, appears to be long gone. Can this team change that trend? It certainly returns enough key cogs. It'll be interesting to see what this club brings to the table.

2. Develop some power at the plate -- The Cardinal certainly plays a certain brand of baseball as with many programs out on the West Coast, but there's no question it must find more power sooner rather than later. Stanford finished last season with just 49 homers as a team and had just one player -- Brent Milleville -- with double digit homers. Milleville, of course, now is gone and Kellen Killsgaard is the top returning power hitter. He blasted nine homers and knocked in 46 runs last season. Stanford also welcomes back two-sport star Toby Gerhart, who hit seven homers last season. The Cardinal desperately needs more home run and doubles hitters in the spring.

3. Improve across the board at the plate -- Creating more power production is a huge key to Stanford's success in the spring. But the Cardinal also must improve consistency at the plate. It had a potent offense two seasons ago with Jason Castro and others leading the way. But last season, the Cardinal took a step back with a dismal .279 batting average. Hitters Stanford welcomes back includes Colin Walsh, Kellen Killsgaard, Adam Gaylord, Toby Gerhart, Ben Clowe, Jonathan Kaskow, Zach Jones and Jake Schlander. Walsh and Killsgaard surprisingly were the only two to hit over .300 last season. Walsh led the team with a .320 batting average and also drove in 25 runs. Killsgaard, meanwhile, batted .313 with nine homers and 46 RBIs. This offense will have much to prove in the spring, but the potential to succeed certainly is there. The Cardinal also could receive some help from newcomers Jacob Stewart and Kenny Diekroeger.

4. Weekend rotation must meet expectations -- The Cardinal is going through fall workouts without Jeff Inman, who signed a pro contract this past summer. But it returns its top two weekend starters from last season -- Brett Mooneyham and Jordan Pries. Mooneyham started 11 games last season and had a 4.14 ERA in 67 2/3 innings. Pries, meanwhile, started 11 games and had a 4.62 ERA in 76 innings. Both pitchers threw well as freshmen last season and are expected to significantly improve as sophomores in the spring. The Cardinal still must find a third weekend starter, but perhaps Scott Snodgress, Danny Sandbrink or Michael Marshall can assume the role. Snodgress and Sandbrink each started five games last season. Marshall, meanwhile, made just three starts but had an impressive 4.10 ERA in 37 1/3 innings.

5. Move on without leading relievers -- The Cardinal received a small blow when key relievers Drew Storen and Max Fearnow signed pro contracts this past summer. Storen's departure was the toughest because he was just a draft-eligible sophomore. Fearnow was a senior and would've been gone this fall no matter what. Even without the two appearance leaders from last season, the Cardinal should be fine. They welcome back Michael Marshall, Brian Busick, Carey Schwartz and Alex Pracher. Marshall had a 4.10 ERA last season, Busick had a 4.50 ERA, Schwartz had a 5.11 ERA and Pracher had a 5.53 ERA. There's no reason why Stanford's bullpen shouldn't compile good numbers. Mark Appel and Chris Jenkins are a pair of newcomers that could have immediate impacts.