CARY, NC—The 2018 National High School Invitational kicked off Wednesday under cloudy skies and cold temperatures. But when RHP Cole Winn (Orange Lutheran HS, CA) took the mound, the sun broke out and his fastball helped the day get warmer. Toeing the rubber against Florence HS, AL, Winn dominated for six innings and the Lancers advanced with a 9-0 win. He pounded the strike zone with a fastball that started out 92-94 mph and settled in at 90-93. Last summer, his best secondary pitch was a slider, but he’s now throwing a 12/6 curveball with sharpness and depth at 74-76. It got loopy at times, but projects as a future above-average pitch. His slider sat in the low 80s with darting action. Overall, he induced weak contact as the only hit he allowed was a short tapper up the third base line and the only ball to leave the infield or even be hit in the air was a flyout from the last batter he faced. His last pitch of the day was 93.

Here are some more notes from Wednesday’s action…