Last June, the Commodores were supposed to host Oregon State in the NCAA Super Regionals on their way to the College World Series.

A funny thing happened on the way to Omaha, though. After Michigan, not Vanderbilt, advanced to play Oregon State, the Beavers made an improbable postseason run to their second straight national title. Now, 263 days after that stunning loss to Michigan in last year's regionals, Vanderbilt finally gets to take on the Beavers when they kick off the 2008 season Friday at the DeMarini Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

"We have to start over, start from zero," said right fielder Dominic de la Osa. "We have to make it to Omaha, that's our goal. That's what we look forward to."

Last season, the Commodores took on national powers Rice, Arizona State, and Baylor to kick off the season in Houston, Tex. An improbable series sweep set the stage for a 20-0 start and a consensus No.1 ranking for most of the season. This year's Dores look for an identical result to jumpstart their season.

"That gave us some confidence going into the season," said coach Tim Corbin. "I'm interested to see how we handle the situation; I don't think we'll be spooked. We're playing very good competition; that doesn't necessarily mean we're gonna win, but I think the kids will be fine. They're a pretty loose bunch."

The No. 3 Commodores enter the 2008 season with their highest pre-season ranking in school history. Most of last year's heralded pitching staff is gone, but sophomore Mike Minor leads a veteran starting rotation looking to back the nation's most feared lineup.

"We've got great players like Brett Jacobson and Nick Christiani starting us off," Minor said. "We have young guys, but they're catching on quick. They're going to take on other roles and take the place of other guys that got drafted last year."

Barring injury, Vanderbilt has a chance to compile one of the most impressive offensive resumes in NCAA baseball history. Player of the Year favorite Pedro Alvarez, coming off a season in which he hit .386 with 18 home runs, anchors a lineup that returns all nine starters, including seven seniors. Ryan Flaherty brings a 35-game hitting streak into the season, and de la Osa returns to the No. 3 spot after turning down a draft offer from the Detroit Tigers.

"I knew I wanted to come back," de la Osa said. "It's another year of college baseball, something you can't get anywhere else. "I think we're going to hit pretty well because we have the same lineup coming back, except everyone's a year older."

With the departure of No. 1 overall pick David Price and closer Casey Weathers, team leadership will be on the shoulders of Alvarez and the rest of the remaining veterans.

"We returned a lot of kids, but it's always a new team with different dynamics," Corbin said. "When you lose a bright light like Price or Weathers, you need someone else to pick up that personality in the locker room."

The national spotlight is once again on Vanderbilt, who is quickly becoming one of the most prolific programs in the country. With the pressure again on the Commodores to win a national title, the focus must stay on the baseball field for every game, and Corbin is confident his players can block out the distractions.

"They're seasoned in terms of handling (pressure) because they don't," Corbin said. "It's not something that gets talked about. We've got a big tournament ahead of us, and they look at this as a great challenge at the beginning of the season."

First pitch on Friday and Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m., with Sunday's game getting under way at noon. All games will air on 560 AM.