Orange Lutheran’s Cole keeps scouts happy with blazing stuff

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If there are any California Highway Patrol officers in need of radar guns, all they need to do is show up to a baseball game in which right-hander Gerrit Cole of Orange Lutheran is pitching.

With scouts pointing more than two dozen radar guns toward Cole, he unleashed a 96 mph fastball to strike out highly regarded third baseman Matt Davidson of Yucaipa in the first inning of Tuesday night’s Anderson Bat National Classic quarterfinal game at Cal State Fullerton.

Cole was clocked consistently throwing between 93 and 95 mph with precision control. He finished with 13 strikeouts, one walk and allowed one hit in six innings during a 16-0 victory. And for good measure, he hit a two-run home run over the center-field fence in the fourth inning.

Orange Lutheran (11-1), ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, will play Loxahatchee (Fla.) Seminole Ridge in the first game of a semifinal doubleheader at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at Fullerton. The other semifinal will match Encino Crespi (8-3) against Washington (D.C.) St. John’s at 8 p.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer

-- Image by Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times