FAIRHOPE, Alabama — Some say that practice makes perfect, but many coaches would settle for practice making progress of any kind. Especially when their last high-school team consisted of many starting seniors who won’t be back next year.

High school baseball teams are moving on past the 2012 season with younger players stepping in and older ones stepping up. Spanish Fort and Fairhope played a set of junior varsity and varsity practice games Tuesday with more emphasis on future output than present outcome. The Toros lost four seniors to graduation while the Pirates had nine graduate.

Although some of the SFHS personnel that took the Toros to their third-straight title in 5A and some of the Pirates’ players that took FHS to the 6A title series, have either graduated or were not available, both coaching staffs used the opportunity to evaluate their past and future players.

Toros’ JV head coach and varsity assistant Brent Boyd, filling in for a vacationing Tommy Walker, said such games are more about putting new players in position to show their talents as well as showing areas that need improving.

“I really was wanting to see my guys get some at bats against some good arms and see what they could do,” he said. “Coach Fuller always has some good arms and it gives us a chance to see how good our timing is. It was also a chance to take some looks at our infield. We have some spots that need to be filled and this is a good opportunity to see who is ready.

“Of course all our guys couldn’t be here tonight, but it’s mostly varsity guys who we already know what they can do. That’s a part of summer ball. A lot of guys get invites to showcase games. So, yes, for the younger ones it is about progress, but also, it’s about exposure and getting them in an environment like this to see how they handle it. It gives me a chance to see what they can do against a top team. At Spanish Fort we expect to go a long way and I know Fairhope does too. So the competition level is great here (at Fairhope) and that lets us see how we react against that high level of competition. This is game-like, game speed with live arms and there’s no, just no, substitute. The batting cage is great, but it can be redundant.”

The two teams are set to face a off again later this month at Spanish Fort, June 26 at 5 p.m., depending on weather conditions.

Fuller agreed the summer season was vital to player development as well as a chance for some of the veterans to recharge after a long regular and post season run.

“There’s a serious side to it, of course,” he said. “But it’s also about giving the kids a chance to relax a little bit without the pressures of spring. They can improve from an individual standpoint, get a little better each time out and just work on things as they go and have some fun, too. These simulated, live games like this give you a chance to expand your roster and expand your line up, too. Like coach Boyd said, just the live action off the bat is something you can’t beat for putting the kids in a game-like situation. It’s good for the pitchers and good for the hitters to face each other like this. Different teams, different players make it more like a game. You can only do so much practicing against yourself. Real progress comes from testing yourself against others.”

There was no official scoring. The junior varsities played nearly evenly with each team scoring about five runs over several innings of play. In the varsity game, Fairhope dominated early. Incoming senior Beecher Faust started for the Pirates and faced the minimum of six batters as did incoming junior Easton Fuller. Fairhope went on to out hit the Toros 11 to five and outscored them 8-3. Corey Childress had a triple and two RBIs for Fairhope while Hunter Ellenberg had a double with two RBIs. Blain Crain had two hits and two RBIs for SFHS.

“Beecher (Faust) looked good and overall our whole staff did well, particularly our bull-pen,” Fuller said. “With our guys being off and then not throwing live for three weeks, I thought they were very good. Threw strikes and showed good control out there. We appreciate Spanish Fort coming out. It was a good, productive day and night at the ball park. And we’re looking forward to playing them again in a couple of weeks.”