The Aggies would love nothing more than to just turn the page.

By that we mean forget about last season.

The Aggies entered the 2009 season with high hopes. We had them ranked No. 3 to begin the campaign, and they were ranked No. 1 by at least one publication. To say the least, A&M had the personnel to live up to those expectations.

Unfortunately for coach Rob Childress, things didn't exactly go as planned.

The Aggies were in the hunt for the Big 12 title before the final few weeks of the season, but sputtered against Oklahoma and rival Texas to end the regular season.

A&M didn't host a regional and was sent to the Fort Worth Regional. There, the Aggies ran into an Oregon State club that had their number. They finished the season far short of Omaha, Nebraska.

With last season serving as extra motivation, the Aggies hope to reload this fall.

Texas A&M's five fall keys

1. Use last season as a motivational tool -- The Aggies are in the midst of fall workouts with a group of players willing to work hard, but there's always room for extra motivation. A&M wants to forget about last season, but perhaps it can use the failures of the past to its advantage this fall. The A&M coaching staff was disgusted with what transpired last season. They don't want that to happen again. We'll see if there's an attitude change this fall.

2. Find a way to replace weekend starters Alex Wilson and Brooks Raley -- Overcoming the departures of their top two weekend starters won't be easy. It'll be extremely difficult. The Aggies knew there was a great chance Wilson would sign this past summer, but Raley seemed to be a long shot before the Cubs opened their checkbook and gave him exactly what he wanted financially speaking. Raley's departure is tough both at the plate and on the mound. He finished last season with a 3.76 ERA in 93 1/3 innings and Wilson had a 4.22 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. To make matters worse, sophomore Ross Hales likely won't be able to pitch until April because of offseason arm surgery. The weekend rotation is a huge question mark this fall.

3. John Stilson needs to be the man -- With the departures of Wilson and Raley and the uncertainty surrounding Hales' return to the weekend rotation, the former JUCO All-American needs to meet expectations. We had the opportunity to see him pitch in a scrimmage last week and left the practice impressed with his ability. His numbers at Texarkana JC speak for themselves. Last season, the right-hander was 10-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 73 2/3 innings. He also struck out 78 and walked 21 and allowed just 18 earned runs. Also throw returning starter Barret Loux into the same mix as Stilson. Loux has had a decent career with the Aggies, but had some back bone spur issues in his elbow last season. Insiders say Loux is healthy. He finished last season 3-3 with a 4.12 ERA in 48 innings. Both Stilson and Loux have to be on their game this fall for the Aggies to be confident entering '10.

4. Replace the bats of the Big Three -- The Aggies return some talented hitters this fall, but also have the tough chore of replacing power hitters Luke Anders and Kyle Colligan in addition to versatile two-way player Brooks Raley. Anders batted .307 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs last season, Colligan batted .288 with 15 homers and 45 RBIs and Raley batted .304 with a home run and 26 RBIs. He also was 25-for-29 in stolen bases. The Aggies may be able to overcome some early-season pitching woes if the offense surprises. Replacing these guys won't be easy, though.

5. Get back to business offensively -- Before last season, the Aggies -- under the direction of Matt Deggs -- had been known for their scrappy and aggressive offensive style. But last season, the Aggies deviated from the usual plan and were anything but versatile. They also were bad with runners in scoring position. They vow to return to their old ways this fall. The Aggies are led at the plate by Brodie Greene, Caleb Shofner, Adam Smith, Kevin Gonzalez and Joe Patterson. They also have high hopes for newcomers Tyler Naquin, Matt Juengel and Andrew Collazo. The Aggies need to rise to the occasion at the plate beginning this fall.