Arkansas has an uphill climb if it wants to win the SEC West again this year. Nick Schmidt, Jess Todd and Duke Welker, though, won’t be ascending the hill to help that cause this season.

The talented trio has moved on to the pros and now Arkansas must face the future with much uncertainty on the mound.

The first unknown is senior right-hander Shaun Seibert, who is just 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery. There there’s freshmen Kendall Korbal and James Mahler, possibly sophomore Dallas Keuchel, maybe freshman Brett Eibner, or junior transfer Cliff Springston.

The Hogs will look to get answers on their rotation when they open play at home in a three-game series versus Wright State Friday. And with NCAA baseball deciding to move opening day approximately three weeks back, a compressed schedule with additional mid-week games squeezed in between SEC series will generate some quick answers.

“ Everybody keeps throwing those three names at me but those guys aren’t here, ” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “ Those guys, Welker, Todd and Nick, they’re gone, but I’m hoping we have a few of those guys in this batch. ”

So does Seibert, who is hoping for his first full healthy season as a Razorback.

“ We lost some guys to the draft and that happens, ” Seibert said. “ I’m really looking forward to this season. We’ve got some really good arms coming in and I don’t think we’re going to miss those big arms as much as people think. ”

Arkansas has missed Seibert’s arm in key predicaments for the last three seasons. Van Horn is hoping this is the year for Seibert.

“ It usually takes 18 months to be 100 percent after Tommy John, ” Van Horn said. “ That doesn’t mean you can’t throw or go after it if you’re 100 percent at 11 months. He went to the doctor and they told him, ‘ you can’t hurt it again. ’ That’s what he needed to hear. He needed that confidence. ”

Especially after watching Schmidt get picked in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Todd and Welker were both selected in the second round after just one season as Hogs.

“ He saw all the guys he came in with get drafted last year and he was really down after he hurt his arm, ” Van Horn said. “ He just got on a mission to get his body back. He’s always been in good shape but he took it to the next level. He did all he could do, got out there and worked harder than I’ve anyone I’ve ever seen. ”

Van Horn said Seibert’s mechanics have also undergone positive tweaks.

“ He’s got a different arm action that I think is better, ” Van Horn said. “ He used to have a long arm on the back side, now it’s shorter, more of a pro-type arm action. ”

And that newfound angle has his career on the rise. Seibert will start Saturday’s tilt at home vs. Wright State. He will throw approximately 60 pitches and Van Horn hopes that will get him to the fourth.

Van Horn said this season might be Seibert’s break-out campaign after three years of frustration.

“ I don’t think we’ve ever had a completely healthy Seibert, ” Van Horn said. “... I think the best of Shaun Seibert is ahead. ”

Seibert just hopes Van Horn’s assessment proves true.

“ My arm hasn’t felt this good in four years, ” Seibert said. “ This thing has nagged me since my senior year in high school and it feels better now than I can ever remember it. ”

Only Seibert and Travis Hill return will significant experience on the mound.

Van Horn will entrust Mahler with the start in Friday’s season-opener against Wright State. Mahler is a Sandy, Utah native. Van Horn said Mahler showed up overweight but has since slimmed down and is much more athletic on the mound.

“ Got a plus breaking ball and competes hard, ” Van Horn said.

Korbal is another tall righty that Van Horn asserts will be a solid contributor. Korbal will start this Sunday.

“ He is such a talent, ” Van Horn said. “ He hasn’t started outside yet but he’s going to get his chance Sunday. He’s going to be on a pitch count but we’re excited to get him some experience because he has really good stuff. ”

Van Horn said Keuchel will get a chance to earn starts as will hard-throwing lefty Cliff Springston, a Baylor junior transfer. Freshman Mike Bolsinger and sophomore lefty Stephen Richards will also be auditioning for a starting gig.

Van Horn, though, said Richards won’t be available to pitch in the opening series because of tendenitis in his elbow.

Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn said the Hogs will only solve their pitching conundrum by experience. That means throwing the youngsters in the fire early.

“ We’ve just got to throw them out there in game situations and see how they respond, ” Jorn said. “ We don’t have a lot of experience but we have plenty of ability... you never know when a Nick Schmidt is going to come around. ”