Washington State hopes to establish some consistency.

The Cougars have made some noise at times the past few seasons, but made the biggest statement last season with an outstanding 19-8 Pac-10 finish and an NCAA regional berth.

Now the Cougars hope to reload and reach another regional in 2010.

Accomplishing that goal may not be too difficult.

The Cougars certainly have a pair of exceptional pitchers to replace in Matt Way and Jeremy Johnson, but still welcome back several key arms, including starting pitchers Chad Arnold and David Stilley.

But most important for this team, the offense must improve. The Cougars finished last season with a .273 batting average and can't wait to have infielder Travis Coulter back in the lineup in the spring.

It'll be interesting to see how quick the Cougars can reload.

It's time to dissect Washington State.

Washington State's five fall keys

1. Replace ace Matt Way and top reliever Jeremy Johnson -- The Cougars welcome back several key cogs on the mound, but fully replacing Way and Johnson won't be easy. Way had a fantastic '09 campaign for the Cougars. He started 15 games and compiled a 2.43 ERA in 107 1/3 innings. He also struck out 124 and walked 33 and limited opposing teams to a .216 batting average. He definitely was one of the most underrated ace pitchers last season. Johnson, meanwhile, recorded 10 saves in 28 appearances and had a 2.90 ERA in 59 innings. He also limited opposing teams to a .242 batting average. If someone can rise up in the ace pitcher and top reliever roles, the Cougars are back in business.

2. Pitching staff needs to meet expectations -- The Cougars certainly have the tough chore of replacing a pair of key pitchers, but the staff as a whole should be solid in the spring. WSU welcomes back weekend starters Chad Arnold and David Stilley. They also welcome back relievers Seth Harvey, Paris Shewey, Connor Lambert, James Wise and Adam Conley. Arnold tallied a 4.39 ERA in 80 innings last season and Stilley compiled a 4.63 ERA in 58 1/3 innings. Harvey had a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings, Shewey had a 3.95 ERA in 13 2/3 innings, Lambert had a 4.50 ERA in 16 innings, Wise had a 5.82 ERA in 21 2/3 innings and Conley had a 5.97 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. This staff welcomes back much experience. It's expected to show in the spring.

3. Find a way to improve at the plate -- There's no telling how good this team could've been last season had the offense established consistency. The Cougars were good at the plate at times last season, but still finished the campaign with a dismal .273 batting average. You'd think the Cougars would find a way to improve by the spring, but accomplishing that goal won't be easy without their top three hitters from last year -- Alex Burg, Jared Prince and Greg Lagreid. Still, the Cougars have high hopes with the return of Travis Coulter, Garry Kuykendall, Matt Argyropoulos, Shea Vucinich, Derek Jones, Michael Weber, Jay Ponciano, Cody Bartlett and Patrick Claussen. That list includes a lot of experience, but only Ponciano finished last season with a batting average over .300. That needs to change in the spring.

4. Get a productive campaign from Travis Coulter -- After missing last season with a serious injury, it'll be interesting to see how Coulter responds in a few months. The experienced senior led the team in hitting two seasons ago. He batted .333 with eight doubles, four triples, a home run and 29 RBIs. He also recorded 11 stolen bases and was a defensive mainstay in the field. Coulter needs to have a strong campaign if the Cougars plan on returning to the postseason. If not, guys perhaps not expected to rise to the occasion will have to carry the payload.

5. Use last season as a stepping stone -- Washington State coach Donnie Marbut and his coaching staff have done a solid job the past few seasons. The Cougars, though, took their biggest step forward last season with a trip to an NCAA regional. The Cougars need to use last year's regional trip as a source of motivation. Sure, the Cougars didn't finish the season with a fantastic overall record. But finishing 19-8 in the Pac-10 was an amazing feat to go with the regional berth. Last season was a step forward, but the Cougars want to establish consistency and eventually reach the College World Series. I doubt an Omaha trip is in store for '10, but this team can take another step forward.