It’s just past the midway point in the high school softball season and the Ida Baker Bulldogs (8-4), like many teams, are moving forward with a better sense of where they are, compared to when the season began.

Despite reaching their first Class 5A regional berth last season, the Bulldogs are dealing with a new set of challenges. A difficult task is trying to replace one of their top pitchers – Jessica Gregoire – and fielding remains a concern. Errors proved costly in losses to Riverdale and Gulf Coast.

“We’re learning,” fourth-year coach Morgan Klare said. “We’re making our errors now so we’re ready for the week of April 20.”

The Bulldogs were worthy contenders in the District 5A-15 Tournament last year, knocking off Mariner and Fort Myers in the first two rounds before losing 2-0 to Barron Collier in the championship.

Still, they advanced to the regional quarterfinals and had another strong showing, falling to state powerhouse Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, 1-0.

Winning has come quickly for Baker, now in the fourth year since the program began, but it also has led to higher expectations and more statewide attention.

The Bulldogs will test themselves again Friday and Saturday at the invitation-only Gulliver Prep Slam-Fest Tournament in Miami. They’ll take on Plantation American Heritage, the top-ranked team in Class 3A, and Miami Varela on Friday.

There are 40 teams from around the state competing in the tournament.

“We are hoping for it to be a great experience, exposure, and learning opportunity for the girls,” Klare said.

From a competitive standpoint, the Bulldogs have had their share of success this season. They’ve won eight of 12 games, averaging close to 13 runs in those wins, but the number of wins isn’t as important as how they perform against top teams. They’re looking for better results against quality opposition, particularly as they get into April and gear up for the district tournament.

What has helped Baker significantly is the influx of talented players coming into the school from the Cape Softball Little League program.

Senior Kayla Vetter is the most experienced pitcher at the high school level. She is surrounded by other talented pitchers, like sophomores Katie Rieser and Tara Sozio, and freshman Sierra Myers, all who have been gaining valuable experience this season.

Offensively, the Bulldogs have received the biggest spark from freshman Alexis “Louie” Ross, who has compiled a .457 batting average and three home runs.

Ross adds to an already strong lineup that includes seniors Caitlin Holloway, Jamie Ross and Christie Larrimore; junior Allie Hare; sophomores Hannah Kelly and Shanelly Brown; and freshman Sami Fisher.

Holloway drove in 43 runs last year and again is one of the area’s top hitters, posting a .621 average.

Though the talent provides a steady foundation, it’s still a challenge each year for the coaches, placing players in the right spots to succeed and for the players, sharpening their skills and learning to communicate as a team on the field, among other factors.

Vetter said the team is making strides.

“With some of the new players it’s taken us a little while,” she said, “but we’re starting to come together as a team.”

Baseball rematches

In a season-opening high school baseball game on Feb. 17, the Ida Baker Bulldogs surrendered a home run to Mariner senior Michael Zunino and gave up five runs in the fifth inning of a 9-3 loss. In hindsight, the Bulldogs (5-7) might be somewhat encouraged by only a six-run loss to the Tritons.

Since then, the unbeaten Tritons (9-0) have been dishing out more convincing wins. They’ve won three 10-0 games, one by a 20-0 margin, and their most recent count was 15-6 over Fort Myers Tuesday night.

If the Bulldogs hope to pull the upset Friday when they host Mariner, they’ll likely need senior Dustin Mishka to continue his power streak. He smacked three home runs against Estero Monday and added another blast Tuesday in a 17-3 win over North Fort Myers. Freshman Ryan Pinto has launched five home runs for the Bulldogs.

The Tritons are blasting the ball, too, combining that with stellar pitching.

The Baker-Mariner tilt is one of two Cape area rematches Friday, with the other being Island Coast (4-7) at Cape Coral (2-9).

That series includes all of one game, but it’s the Gators, in their first varsity season, who own the head-to-head bragging rights.

Behind a complete-game performance from sophomore Taylor Renegar, the Gators defeated the Seahawks 4-1 in the third game of the season in the Early Bird Tournament.