Sometimes laughter is the best medicine.

Minutes after Texas A&M had flogged Kansas, 13-0, in softball Sunday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark, the Jayhawks were smiling and chattering in their postgame session with coach Tracy Bunge.

That’s the way Bunge wanted it.

“You can beat yourself up, you can beat yourself up and you can beat yourself up,” Bunge said. “We’re choosing the light approach.”

The No. 5-ranked Aggies seemed like they could have beaten the Yankees on Sunday. They blasted 16 hits off three KU pitchers while right-hander Amanda Scarborough surrendered just one safety – a one-out ground single by Amanda Jobe in the seventh.

“A&M is the best team we’ve played all year,” senior first baseman Nicole Washburn said. “They can hit, they can pitch.”

On Saturday, A&M had thumped the Jayhawks, 7-0, and the weekend was eerily similar to the Aggies’ last visit to Arrocha Ballpark in 2005. A&M won those games, 7-1 and 13-1.

“A&M beat us two years ago when I was a sophomore,” Washburn said, “and we still went to regionals.”

Kansas catcher Elle Pottorf fakes a throw to second base against Texas A&M. The Aggies blasted the Jayhawks, 13-0, Sunday at Arrocha Ballpark.

Indeed, that KU club was selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament based largely on its strength of schedule. Bunge’s ’05 team went into the NCAAs with a 30-22 record.

“It’s tough,” Bunge said of the Big 12. “This league is not forgiving. There are never any breaks. That’s the hard part of the conference.”

Kansas will take a 27-16-1 overall record into Wednesday’s doubleheader against Missouri at Arrocha Ballpark.

“The mental approach is so important,” Bunge said, “and we have to stay positive. We’ll work hard in practice, I’ll tell you that.”

During the recent sinking spell that has seen the Jayhawks lose five of their last six home games, the hitting has tailed off, the pitching has been spotty and the defense inconsistent.

Kansas sophomore Stevie Crisosto reaches Texas A&M's Sharonda McDonalds to second base at Arrocha Ballpark on Sunday.

“We could analyze this to death,” Bunge said. “But we’re not going to beat a dead horse. We choosing right now to move on.”

In other words, KU’s players weren’t likely to be second-guessing themselves or moping around Sunday night.

“We’re going to forget about it,” Washburn said. “This doesn’t end our season, and this doesn’t make or break our season.”

Kansas has 13 games remaining before the Big 12 tournament May 10-12 in Oklahoma City. Four of those outings are against league tailenders Texas Tech and Iowa State, and four more are non-league twinbills against Creighton and Wichita State.

“This group of kids cares,” Bunge said. “We just need a break or two to go our way, especially early, because we sure haven’t had very many lately.”