The season is drawing closer and it is time to set the stage for our 2010 preview, which is slated to begin in mid-January. We take an inside look at the Big 12 in one of many of our conference snapshots.

Baylor

2009 record: 30-26

Top returning player: 2B Joey Hainsfurther

What needs to improve: The Bears finished last season with a somewhat respectable .299 batting average, but have several key offensive cogs to replace. That means the offense is a legitimate concern entering the spring. The Bears also have some question marks on the mound after finishing last season with a 5.29 ERA. Shawn Tolleson, Craig Fritsch, Logan Verrett and Willie Kempf are back this spring, but all were plagued by inconsistency throughout the ’09 campaign. The pitching staff could be solid, but the Bears have much work to do to compete for the Big 12 crown.

Kansas

2009 record: 39-24

Top returning player: 3B Tony Thompson

What needs to improve: You may have to do a double take, but this KU team has very few holes to fill between now and opening day. The Jayhawks finished last season with a respectable .301 batting average and welcomes back several key cogs, including hard-hitting infielder Tony Thompson. The pitching staff also in fantastic shape with the return of starting pitchers Lee Ridenhour and T.J. Walz in addition to reliever Colton Murray and others. Quality pitching depth is the only thing we believe the Jayhawks need to improve. This team will be fantastic if it can master that area.

Kansas State

2009 record: 43-18

Top returning player: 2B Carter Jurica

What needs to improve: The Wildcats didn’t have too many areas of concern last season, but lacked a wealth of bullpen depth. That must be corrected in the spring, but could be tough to accomplish considering some of their personnel losses. The Wildcats must replace outstanding starting pitchers A.J. Morris and Lance Hoge in addition to some key cogs at the plate, including hard-hitting Justin Bloxom. K-State finished last season with a .317 batting average and welcomes back leading hitters Carter Jurica and Nick Martini. The offense should be fine in ’10, but the pitching staff is a question mark until it proves it can move on without Morris and Hoge.

Missouri

2009 record: 35-27

Top returning player: OF Aaron Senne

What needs to improve: The Tigers entered last season with incredibly high expectations and certainly failed to live up to them. But it’s a new season. However, they now have a plethora of questions to answer before being considered Big 12 title contenders. The Tigers finished last season with a .272 batting average and will enter the spring without three of their four top hitters. Aaron Senne is the top returning hitter. On the mound, replacing ace pitcher Kyle Gibson and other key relievers won’t be easy. Even with those guys, Missouri ended last season with an unimpressive 5.08 ERA. It could be a down year for coach Tim Jamieson’s Tigers.

Nebraska

2009 record: 25-28

Top returning player: OF Adam Bailey

What needs to improve: The Huskers had a tough ’09 campaign and hope to move forward in the spring. That could be tough to accomplish, though. The Huskers were a solid defensive club last season and once again should be good in the field. However, there are a plethora of question marks both at the plate and on the mound. They ended last season with a .282 batting average, but expect big campaigns from Tyler Farst, Adam Bailey and DJ Belfonte. On the mound, the Huskers ended last season with a dismal 6.22 ERA and needs arms such as Mike Nesseth, Casey Hauptman, Sean Yost and Michael Mariot to rise to the occasion. It’ll be interesting to see what the Big Red brings to the table.

Oklahoma

2009 record: 43-20

Top returning player: 3B Garrett Buechele

What needs to improve: The Sooners hope to build off their national seed campaign last season, but accomplishing that goal could be difficult. OU must replace several key hitters from a lineup that finished last season with a .317 batting average. OU also must replace several pitchers from a pitching staff finished the ’09 campaign with an unimpressive 5.09 ERA. There’s much uncertainty surrounding the Sooners because they have many new faces. The Sooners could overachieve. But for now, it’s evident they must improve on the mound and at the plate without some key figures.

Oklahoma State

2009 record: 34-24

Top returning player: SS Tom Belza

What needs to improve: The Cowboys are another Big 12 team that could be due for a rebuilding campaign. The Pokes finished last season with a solid .300 batting average, but have several players to replace from that lineup. They do, however, welcome back leading hitter Tom Belza. The pitching staff will have plenty of talented arms, but replacing weekend starters Andy Oliver and Tyler Blandford could be difficult. The Pokes need a big-time campaign from starting pitcher Tyler Lyons to experience a wealth of success in the spring. Pitching is the main concern with this club.

Texas

2009 record: 50-16

Top returning player: P Taylor Jungmann

What needs to improve: The Longhorns will have one of the best weekend rotations we’ve ever seen in the upcoming campaign. They also should have a solid bullpen with hard-throwing right-hander Brandon Workman leading the way as closer. But outside of the pitching staff, the Longhorns have some defensive specialists and some key offensive cogs to replace. The ‘Horns finished last season with just a .288 batting average and must replace Brandon Belt, Michael Torres and Travis Tucker, which were three of just five hitters that finished last season with batting averages better than .290. UT needs huge campaigns from Kevin Keyes, Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe to win a title.

Texas A&M

2009 record: 37-24

Top returning player: UTI Brodie Greene

What needs to improve: The Aggies finished last season with a somewhat respectable .298 batting average, but were horrible with runners on scoring position throughout the campaign. That must improve if the Aggies plan on making a statement on the national stage. It’ll be interesting to see how the offense fairs without Luke Anders, Brooks Raley and Kyle Colligan in the lineup. Even more important are the departures of pitchers Alex Wilson, Kyle Thebeau, and of course, Raley. The Aggies desperately need big-time campaigns from Barret Loux, Nick Fleece and Ross Hales, who will return from an injury in the middle of the season.

Texas Tech

2009 record: 25-32

Top returning player: P Chad Bettis

What needs to improve: The Red Raiders finished last season with a .299 batting average and welcomes back several hitters from that lineup. The Raiders expect to be improved at the plate. The pitching staff, though, still is a cause for concern. Tech coach Dan Spencer has made improving the pitching staff a top priority, so we’ll see how much progress he is able to make between now and the spring. Chad Bettis spearheads the staff, but the unit finished last season with a dismal 6.31 ERA. Tech had just two pitchers that ended last season with ERAs below five. That must change if it wants to take a step forward.