With outstanding assistant coach Rick Vanderhook in tow and the arrival of freshmen pitchers Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole last season, UCLA entered the 2009 campaign with incredibly high hopes.

The Bruins, the second weekend of the season, had stiff tests at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. They finished the tournament 0-3 and proceeded to rattle off four more losses after the failed trip to Houston.

It took UCLA a long time to rebound from the slow start. The start also kept them -- despite a good Pac-10 record -- from making an NCAA regional.

With last season serving as motivation, the Bruins enter the '10 campaign with a new outlook.

UCLA welcomes back a very talented weekend rotation with Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole leading the way. The bullpen also is in decent shape. The offense, though, could be a cause for concern after hitting just .285 last season.

The Bruins have some holes to fill at the plate, but otherwise are in good shape.

The '10 campaign should be a good one for the Bruins.

UCLA's five fall keys

1. Use last season as motivation -- There's no question the Bruins entered last season with high hopes. They were preseason ranked and many expected them to at least reach an NCAA regional, if not a super regional or perhaps even the College World Series. But instead of taking another step forward, the Bruins took what is perceived to be a huge step back. That may not be the case as the Bruins still are loaded with talent. But UCLA must return to winnings ways in the spring. Also important is the offensive transformation to Vanderhook's way of doing things. I get the feeling some Bruins had issues transitioning to Vanderhook's way of thinking. That won't be the case in '10.

2. Continue to get big performances from Bauer, Cole -- Cole earned nationwide recognition last season for spurning the New York Yankees as a top-round pick to head to UCLA. Well, amazingly enough, he wasn't even the best pitcher on the staff last season. That award went to fellow freshman Trevor Bauer. Bauer started 10 games and made 20 appearances and had a 2.99 ERA in 105 1/3 innings. He also struck out 92 and walked 27 and held opposing teams to a .225 batting average. Cole, meanwhile, started 14 games and had a 3.49 ERA in 85 innings. He struck out 104 and walked 38 and held teams to a low .191 clip. UCLA is in good shape on the mound if the dynamic duo emulates last season's production.

3. Rob Rasmussen needs to step up -- With Bauer and Cole anchoring the weekend rotation, all eyes now are on the No. 3 spot in the weekend rotation. That label likely will go to talented prospect and junior left-hander Rob Rasmussen. However, the Bruins need Rasmussen to be much more consistent. He started six games and made 18 appearances last season. He also had a 6.45 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. Additionally, he struck out 51 and walked 26 and teams hit him at a .295 clip. Rasmussen put together an impressive summer at the Cape Cod League, but we'll see if that translates to success in the spring. UCLA's weekend rotation will be one of the nation's best if Rasmussen pans out.

4. Find some power production -- When UCLA coach John Savage looks at his team's power potential in the spring, he might need to do a double take. Without Cody Decker, Casey Haerther, Gino Aielli, Eddie Murray and Gabe Cohen, the Bruins have lost 39 of their 54 homers as a team last season. That equates to a loss of 72 percent of their homers. That's a staggering number if you ask me. UCLA isn't a team known for its power production in the first place, but some newcomers and returnees must rise to the occasion in the power department for the Bruins to take a step forward in the spring. If not, they better do all the little things right.

5. Improve offensively -- It's only a matter of time before Vanderhook gets the offense going, but we'll see if the '10 campaign will be that time. The Bruins finished last season with a .285 batting average and will enter the spring without three of their top four hitters. UCLA welcomes back two hitters -- Justin Uribe and Blair Dunlap -- that finished last season with batting averages better than .300. They need others such as Chris Giovinazzo, Niko Gallego, Steve Rodriguez and Tyler Rahmatulla to step up. Also keep an eye on newcomers Cody Keefer, Jeff Gelalich and Beau Amaral. The offense will determine the team's fate in the spring. We're that certain of it.