The Ohio Jaguars 18-and-under softball team will be making its second consecutive trip to the USA ASA National Softball Tournament this week. There’s a definite difference for the squad this time around.

Instead of just being happy to be there, the Jaguars know that they belong.

“They came in this summer and looked around and saw a lot of really good players,” manager Scott Francis said. “They’ve seen each other play every summer. They know the teams from the area. They know everyone is committed to winning and getting better.

“They know we have good players at every position. They’re confident in everyone on the team. When you’re confident in everyone, you’re confident in the whole team.”

Four members of the squad that made the trip to College Station, Texas last year are still with the team and have made it clear to their teammates that they deserve to be making this year’s trip to Moline, Ill.

“The girls from last year have been telling the others that we’re able to win down there,” Scott Francis said. “The others totally believe them. They totally trust each other’s judgment. They tell them we can win and they very much believe it.”

The Jaguars will open play against the Arizona Hot Shots at 2:30 p.m. Monday when pool-play action begins. Win or lose, the Jaguars will face the winner or loser, depending their own outcome, of the game between the Lemont Rockers and the New Jersey Pride.

Those two games will determine the Jaguars’ seed in the double-elimination tournament that runs through Saturday.

St. Francis (Pa.) signee Courtney Francis and Indiana Tech signee Callie Busch are joined by Hannah Francis and Jenn Tennant as the holdovers.

The Jaguars are one of just six teams from Ohio that have earned a berth in the prestigious tournament. In all, about 120 teams from all over the country will be making the trek to Illinois.

“I believe there are just six teams from Ohio in the tournament this year,” Scott Francis said. “It’s not like with NSA or PONY. There are not tons of teams from each state. A limited number of teams from each state get to go.

“Everyone around the state knows that to make the USA ASA National Tournament is an honor. Everyone knows you have to earn your spot. We want to win more games and place higher than last year.”

In College Station, the Jaguars managed just one win in the double-elimination tournament.

Bats and arms have carried the Jaguars (28-14) back to Nationals this summer.

“We’ve had good pitching and good hitting,” Scott Francis said. “One picks the other up. If we lack pitching one game, the bats come through. If we aren’t hitting, the pitchers seem to pick them up. At times, it’s the top half of the lineup that carries us and at other times, it’s the bottom half.”