Vanderbilt still is searching for its first College World Series appearance.

Will it finally come in 2010?

The Commodores certainly have a ways to go on the mound with the departures of starting pitchers Mike Minor, Caleb Cotham and Nick Christiani. But they welcome back a crop of relievers that could make everyone forget about the trio.

Most hope, though, is at the plate.

Vanderbilt welcomes back seven key hitters, including its top hitter in Aaron Westlake, from a lineup that finished last season with a .306 batting average.

Vandy still is a relatively young team, but the personnel is there to make a bold statement in the spring.

VU reached the Louisville Regional final last season. It wants to do more in '10.

Vanderbilt's five fall keys

1. Build off last season -- Sure, the Commodores didn't reach the CWS or even get to a super regional. But considering their youth at the plate, last season's 37-27 record and berth in the Louisville Regional title game was a success. The Commodores now are a year older and wiser and must build off last year's campaign. It was a season to remember, not a season to forget. It'll be interesting to see how much confidence the younger players have in the spring after a season of experiencing the SEC.

2. Rebuild the weekend rotation -- The Commodores may have plenty reasons to be confident about the spring, but the weekend rotation is a glaring question mark. The 'Dores are without staff ace Mike Minor in addition to starting pitchers Caleb Cotham and Nick Christiani. Minor started 16 games last season and had a 3.90 ERA in 110 2/3 innings. He also struck out 114 and walked 37 and teams hit him at a .262 clip. Cotham had a 4.10 ERA in 79 innings and Christiani had a 5.00 ERA in 68 1/3 innings. Vandy is in business if it adequately replaces all three weekend starters.

3. Figure out the pitching staff roles -- Vandy has three important holes to fill in the weekend rotation, but it has plenty options this fall. The Commodores almost surely will move hard-throwing sophomore Sonny Gray to the weekend rotation in the spring. They also are confident Jack Armstrong will develop into an elite pitcher. Vandy also welcomes back Russell Brewer, Chase Reid, Richie Goodenow, Taylor Hill and Drew Hayes. Brewer had a 2.96 ERA in 27 1/3 innings last season. Reid, Goodenow, Hill and Hayes also logged significant innings in '09. There's no question this team should have a good bullpen.

4. Reload at the plate -- Even with a rather young lineup last season, the Commodores still managed to finish the season with a solid .306 batting average. That figure only should increase in the spring. Vandy must replace Steven Liddle and Jonny White, but welcomes back seven key hitters, including leading hitter Aaron Westlake, Curt Casali, Riley Reynolds, Brian Harris, Jason Esposito, Andrew Giobbi and Joe Loftus. That list includes three hitters that finished last season with batting averages better than .300. Could Vandy have one of the SEC's more potent offenses?

5. Continue to develop -- The Commodores grew up a lot last season and if history is any indication, this team will be much better in the spring based on experience alone. Vandy has holes to fill like every team in college baseball. But if the players on this squad develop like they're supposed to, some big things may lie ahead. Either way, this will be a fun team to watch in SEC play in '10.