Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin and his program have a significant offseason ahead of them after a demoralizing loss to High Point in the Clemson regional.

Here are three quick takes, two questions and a prediction coming out of that regional.

Three quick takes:

It feels as if Vanderbilt is at a crossroads

The crossroads here isn't as drastic as it's made out to be in some cases, but it still feels as if there's one present.

Vanderbilt didn't live up to its standards this season, but it still continued its 18-season regional streak and was a two seed. It also feels as if Corbin has some guys that he can build around moving forward.

That being said, there still seems to be a need for change. Vanderbilt's product felt stale for much of the season. It feels as if getting back to where this program is accustomed to being will only come with some evolving and adaptability.

It has to supplement what it has with some veterans from the portal, it needs some more power, perhaps in some areas it needs new voices or strategies.

The sky isn't falling here but a result like what Vanderbilt ended the season with would feel unsatisfactory if it were to happen again in 2025.

It's one of Corbin's most important off-seasons in his tenure on West End and one that should be eventful.

What Vanderbilt has coming back; including its potential Friday night guy and star in the field

It's not all lost if Vanderbilt doesn't change its portal philosophy after adding just four players prior to 2024.

It will have JD Thompson, who surged at the end of the season outside of his poor start in the regional, who looks to be a shoe-in to be its Friday night guy if Carter Holton, Bryce Cunningham and Devin Futrell depart from the program.

RJ Austin was the teams' best hitter as the season wained on and capped it off with a 5-for-5 outing with Vanderbilt's season on the line. He'll be back for a junior season in which it looks as if he's capable of another leap.

That leap could continue to come on the defensive end, where it feels as if Austin has improved significantly.

Austin's classmate Chris Maldonado will almost certainly be back and will make an impact. So will Braden Holcomb, Jayden Davis and Camden Kozeal as well as a haul of freshman relievers that made an impact.

Vanderbilt will have some holes to fill, but it's got a nice foundation heading into 2025.

The loss to High Point was among the program's worst in recent memory and should be a wake up call, though

Vanderbilt's roster in 2024 was largely flawed.

It didn't have much power, its lineup was inconsistent and its pitching on the road needs to be studied in some forms. A team with all that going against it still ended up as a two seed, though.

It felt like with the run Corbin's group made in the SEC Tournament, it had a chance to do something if it got the right draw in a regional. It didn't, though.

Corbin's team was too matchup dependent and inconsistent to have serious Omaha hopes. That will have to be a point of correction.

It certainly will be after what it witnessed in Clemson with a loss in which it led High Point 5-0 and couldn't finish the job.

That was almost unfathomable.

A loss like that can't just be a reality, it has to be something that drives the program in a multitude of ways.

Two questions:

What does the story of this team look like without injuries?

Vanderbilt shouldn't be looking for excuses, rather it should be looking for actions. It's worth wondering what happens if Chris Maldonado, Andrew Dutkanych and Sawyer Hawks were around for the entirety of things.

What if Devin Futrell was himself all season or Jonathan Vastine and Alan Espinal played the entire game against High Point?

What if Jayden Davis and Ethan McElvain didn't miss so much time down the stretch?

Those scenarios will end as just a what it.

Injuries certainly are a part of the story of this group. Despite its touted depth it wasn't able to overcome them, though.

What does Vanderbilt do in the portal?

Prior to 2024, Vanderbilt added just four players from the portal with the additions of Davis, Hawks, Jacob Humphrey and Levi Huesman.

Davis was a mainstay in the lineup, but Vanderbilt got much more out of its freshman class than set of older guys from other schools.

Those older guys were largely added as a result of previous relationships with the staff and what seemed to be more of a conservative portal approach.

Vanderbilt may have to be more aggressive in the coming months. It doesn't need depth pieces, it needs RJ Schrecks.

One prediction:

Something looks significantly different about the program in February

Maybe it's transfers, maybe it's a clear NIL investment, maybe it's a staff change or a change in development strategy or a change in recruiting profiles. Something's gotta give and it's hard to see a way that something won't.

Corbin took ownership on the podium in Clemson and didn't seem like someone who would be complacent with what's happened.

Vanderbilt won't change what's got it to the level that it's been at, but it seems like it'll change something.