Virginia could be on the brink of something very special.

The Cavaliers had been one of the most criticized teams in America the past few seasons for failing to make a huge statement in the postseason. But last season, the Cavaliers put together an impressive record and still were sent to the West Coast for regional play.

That served as all the motivation they needed. They did the talking and won the Irvine Regional before battling back to take two of three on the road from Mississippi.

Virginia made its first trip to the College World Series. But what it accomplished last season may only be the tip of the iceberg.

The Cavaliers enter fall workouts with high hopes and should be a consensus top-five team entering the spring.

That means a national title is now the expectation.

Virginia's Five Keys to the Fall

1. Don't get overconfident -- This kind of goes without saying, but the Cavaliers have extremely high expectations entering fall workouts and coach Brian O'Connor is looking forward to seeing how his team handles the hype. Some teams in this situation seem to thrive on high expectations and the idea they should compete for the national title. Others, meanwhile, tend to work hard in the fall but press in the spring. The Cavaliers need to work like normal this fall and not get overconfident about expectations. Virginia played like a team with something to prove in the postseason last spring. That attitude needs to stay.

2. Shore up the pitching staff -- The Cavaliers welcome back a pair of excellent weekend starters and a couple great relievers, but there are some holes to fill on the mound. The Cavaliers are without 210 innings and 71 appearances from last year's pitching staff. The departures include Andre Carraway, Robert Poutier, Matt Packer and Jeff Lorick. Virginia has recruited at a high level the past few seasons, and pitching shouldn't be a problem. But if O'Connor views the pitching staff as a question mark entering the fall, it should be one. It'll be interesting to see how this unit develops this fall.

3. Offense needs to continue where it left off -- The Cavaliers finished last season with a .327 batting average and shouldn't skip a beat next spring. But as with any team, there's always a little room for improvement. The Cavaliers welcome back leading hitters Dan Grovatt and Jarrett Parker in addition to Tyler Cannon, Steve Proscia, two-way star Danny Hultzen and a host of others. Virginia was a tough team to slow down at the plate last season. If that trend continues this fall and in the spring, expectations certainly could be met in Omaha next June.

4. Solidify the weekend rotation -- This unit isn't a concern, but there's no question the Cavaliers need to figure out who the No. 3 starter will be. The Cavaliers lost Carraway to the draft and may look to Tyler Wilson to fill that void. Wilson appeared in 31 contests and made two starts last season. He had a 2.97 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. The Cavaliers also need a strong fall from Robert Morey. Morey was clutch down the stretch last season, but only made nine starts for the season. He will be counted on to make at least 14-16 starts next spring. That requires much more from a physical standpoint. Leading the rotation is Danny Hultzen, who's expected to continue where he left off last season. The rotation will be fine by the time the season begins.

5. Realize their potential -- There are some teams out there that can't seem to realize their potential during fall workouts. The Cavaliers need to do that this fall. This is a team with a loaded offense and a very good weekend rotation with Hultzen and Morey leading the way. The bullpen also is in decent shape with returnee Kevin Arico leading the way. Expectations have never been higher for this program and the coaches and players alike are almost living in a dream. This team can win the national title and that's something each member of this program must realize this fall. It's time for maximum effort.