It’s been four days since Mississippi State became a near-unanimous top five team in the country in every major college baseball poll. That was hardly time to savor it, since the first big challenge to the ranking is rolling into Starkville this weekend.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 2 in this week’s Baseball America poll and No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball, will host No. 3 Texas A&M in a huge three-game series at Dudy Noble Field.

Mississippi State (24-9-1, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) is alone in first place in the SEC West, but Texas A&M (26-7, 7-5) is one of four teams within two games of the lead.

Mississippi State is coming off a series win on the road against then-No. 1 Florida and might be the hottest team in the SEC. It has won 11 of its last 15 games, including each of its first four conference series. It’s the first time since 2001 that MSU has accomplished that feat.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, won 22 of its first 25 games before it was swept at Florida two weeks ago and lost a midweek game against Rice. The Aggies have bounced back nicely since then, sweeping Georgia at home and then taking a midweek contest against Abilene Christian to run their winning streak to four.

The series will be part of Mississippi State’s Super Bulldog Weekend. The spring football game is Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, but the baseball matchup might be the main attraction.

Friday night’s opener will feature two of the SEC’s top pitchers in Brigham Hill of Texas A&M and Dakota Hudson of Mississippi State.

The right-handers are Nos. 1 and 2 in the conference in earned run average — Hill at 1.42 and Hudson at 1.68 — and Hill has only walked eight batters in 44 1/3 innings.

On Saturday, the Aggies will throw Jace Vines (5-0, 3.77 ERA) against Mississippi State’s Austin Sexton (1-3, 2.83 ERA). Sexton has allowed only 18 earned runs in eight starts this season and has thrown two complete games, but has four no-decisions.

Three of Sexton’s last four starts have resulted in no-decisions.

TEXAS A&M AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

All games on 105.5 FM and SEC Network Plus

Friday: 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: 2 p.m.

Sunday: 1:30 p.m.