STARKVILLE — Dakota Hudson didn’t win Friday night, but he was honored Monday.

The Mississippi State junior was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday. He also was one of eight Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week, Collegiate Baseball announced. He earned the honors after throwing a career-high nine innings and allowing one unearned run against Vanderbilt on Friday night.

“Dakota Hudson battled his tail off,” MSU coach John Cohen said on the radio after the game. “He showed the type of competitor he is. He kept us in the ballgame all night. He was outstanding. It was a Friday night in the SEC and he pitched the way you have to.”

No. 10 MSU (14-6-1) will play host to Mississippi Valley State (4-13) at 6:30 tonight (SEC Network+) at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs, who lost both midweek games last week, will start freshman left-hander Konnor Pilkington (0-0, 1.29 ERA). The Delta Devils, who have lost five in a row, will start senior right-hander Cecil Hodges (1-4, 9.82).

Hudson was the only SEC pitcher on the opening weekend of conference play to pitch at least eight innings and allow fewer than three runs. The right-hander gave up four hits, struck out eight, and walked two to take the no decision, but the Bulldogs won 3-2 in 13 innings. The only run Hudson allowed came via a throwing error in the fourth inning. He threw 112 pitches.

“I thought his command was really good. He just did a really good job of locating his fastballs in on left-handed hitters,” Cohen told D1Baseball.com after the game. “He just looked really good. He was throwing 100 pitches and still got up to 94 (mph) and more. His cutter was good, and he when he’s doing all of that and he’s in rhythm, he’s really electric.”

Hudson (2-1) struggled the last two seasons, but he was thrust into a starting role and is the only player ranked in the top six in the SEC in ERA (1.38), opposing batting average (.172), innings (32 2/3), and strikeouts (40). He is the second Bulldog to win a weekly honor form the league, and second to earn the honor from College Baseball. Brent Rooker was named SEC Player of the Week on March 14, while Jack Kruger was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on Feb. 22.

Hudson is the 23rd player (32 times) to earn a weekly honor from the SEC since its establishment in 1987 and ninth player to earn the honor from Collegiate Baseball.

n In other baseball news, MSU’s 2-3 record last week had mix reactions in the polls.

MSU lost to Eastern Kentucky and Oral Roberts in the middle of the week, but it took two out of three from then-No. 5 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, to win its first SEC series.

As a result, MSU rose from No. 15 to No. 10 in the Baseball America poll, from No. 13 to No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, and from No. 15 to No. 13 in the Perfect Game poll.

MSU stayed at No. 15 and No. 14 in the D1Baseball.com poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls. It dropped from No. 15 to No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

n No. 7 Ole Miss will take on Tennessee-Martin: At Oxford, the No. 7 Ole Miss baseball team (19-2) will play host to Tennessee-Martin (7-13) at 11 a.m. today in its annual School Day Game at Swayze Field.

After winning four of five games last week, the Rebels have the third-best record in the nation. They are looking to win 20 of their first 22 games for the first time in school history.

Ole Miss is ranked in the top 10 of every national poll, including No. 6 in Collegiate Baseball’s poll.

Freshman right-hander James McArthur (2-0, 6.06 ERA) is scheduled to start today for the Rebels.

n No. 22 Alabama will face Alabama-Birmingham: At Birmingham, Alabama, the No. 22 Alabama baseball team (13-6) will take Alabama-Birmingham at 6:30 tonight at Regions Field, the home of the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Alabama will be the visiting team.

Alabama climbed into the national polls on the strength of winning two of three games against LSU last weekend.

Redshirt junior right-hander Mike Oczypok (2-1) is scheduled to start for the Crimson Tide.

n Southern Mississippi will face Tulane: At Biloxi, the Southern Mississippi baseball team (16-5) will take on Tulane (13-7) at 7:05 tonight at MGM Park.

The Golden Eagles opened Conference USA play last weekend, winning two of three games at Marshall. It was the fourth-straight series league victory dating back to last season.

Tulane moved into the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 after winning two of three games at Texas last weekend.

n EMCC baseball team will play at Holmes, Copiah-Lincoln this week: At Goodman, the East Mississippi Community College baseball team (4-16, 0-4 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division) will

play conference doubleheaders at Holmes C.C. and Copiah-Lincoln C.C. at 2 p.m. today and Friday.

EMCC is slated to travel to Coahoma (March 30) and Meridian (April 5) before making its scheduled home season debut at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Gerald Poole Field in Scooba.

Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait

Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.