March 24, 2026
BURLINGTON, WA - A stellar performance by senior star Zak Fleshman, both on the mound and at the plate, led the Burlington-Edison Tigers to a 6–2 victory over Nooksack Valley Tuesday afternoon in varsity high school baseball at Tiger Field.
Fleshman was excellent on the mound, allowing only five hits and one earned run. He needed just 70 pitches, 53 of which were strikes, and struck out four Pioneers without allowing a walk while tossing a complete game.
“He’s always right around the plate and is a very efficient finesse pitcher who is usually ahead in the count,” said Tigers’ head coach John Thurmond. “He’s our number one pitcher and we expect that kind of performance from him.”
Third baseman and cleanup hitter Isaiah Aguilar was 3-4 with a double and two RBI to lead a 13 hit Tiger attack.
Catcher Hudson Baker was 2–3 with a double and also drove in two runs hitting sixth, while Fleshman, batting fifth, ripped a pair of doubles and was hit by a pitch In reaching base three times, which led to courtesy runner Jaxon Brown scoring half of the Tigers’ six runs.
“The middle of our lineup was really good today and swung the bats really well,” Thurmond said. “Aguilar is definitely our three or four hitter and we expect him to drive in runs,” Thurmond added.
The Tigers’ veteran leader also stated that shortstop Cash Cullop played excellent defensively while adding two hits and scoring a run from his lead-off spot, and said Baker was great behind the plate, including gunning down a Pioneer base stealing attempt for the first out of the first inning.
After allowing a lead-off triple that led to Nooksack Valley’s first run of the game, Fleshman followed Baker’s thwarted base stealing attempt by striking out the Pioneers’ number three and four hitters to end the first inning.
Brown scored in the second, third and fifth innings before Burlington-Edison put a vice grip on the victory with a three run sixth inning.
With the win, the Tigers are 4-1 this season, 2-1 in Northwest Conference games.
Burlington-Edison will play its next two games in two of the nicest stadiums in the state. The Tigers will face rival Sedro-Woolley Thursday at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham, scheduled to start at 1 PM, before wrapping up the week Friday versus the Cascade Bruins at Funko Park in Everett, with the first pitch scheduled for 7 PM.
Story courtesy of Tiger For Life John Fasso.