Ah, for those dry April days of yore. Rain has plagued softball and baseball teams most of the month.

“We’ve been real fortunate over the last three or four years,” Kansas University softball coach Tracy Bunge said. “Now it feels like it’s catching up with us in one year.”

Bunge is confident, however, the Jayhawks’ two-game series with Texas A&M will be completed this weekend because Arrocha Ballpark has a fast-drying infield made from a concoction of dirt and synthetic polymer.

But in order to give the entire field more time to dry, today’s start has been moved from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday’s game is scheduled to begin at noon.

If the rain lingers longer than predicted and today’s game has to be postponed, the two teams would play a doubleheader Sunday, which forecasters say will be rain-free.

Last weekend’s KU-Texas series in Austin, Texas, turned into a Sunday doubleheader after Saturday’s game was rained out. The Jayhawks were scheduled to play Wednesday at Missouri, but that contest also was washed away.

Thus, KU has suited up and played on only one of the last 10 days, a layoff Bunge believes will be beneficial.

“The time off has given us a little bit of a break mentally,” the KU coach said.

The Jayhawks quite likely will need to be at a mental and physical peak against Texas A&M (32-6 overall, 5-3 Big 12 Conference), one of three Big 12 teams with a single-digit loss column. Oklahoma (42-4) and Baylor (37-9) are the others.

Texas A&M features the leading candidate for the conference player-of-the-year award in Megan Gibson, a junior first baseman-pitcher who leads the league in slugging percentage at .845 and has fashioned a 13-2 record with a 1.58 earned-run average in the circle.

At the same time, the Aggies boast an even better pitcher in junior right-hander Amanda Scarborough (16-4, 1.13 ERA).

“Scarborough and Gibson are the heart and soul of their team,” Bunge said, “but they also have speed at the top and bottom of their lineup.”

Outfielder Sharonda McDonald is among the league stolen-base leaders with 27.

Kansas will be back in Arrocha on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. twinbill against Missouri. The first game will be a make-up of last Wednesday’s rainout in Columbia, Mo.