05/10/2026
Congratulations to Carter Lee on being selected Brevard Sports Network Ace of the Year! 👏👏👏
BSN BASEBALL ACE OF THE YEAR: CARTER LEE LEADS 2026 BSN PITCHING STAFF
Great pitching does not always come with loud win-loss records.
Sometimes it comes with dominance that hides beneath the surface, the kind that shows up in opponent batting average, command under pressure, complete games, shutouts, and the ability to walk onto the mound knowing every run matters.
That was Carter Lee’s season for Viera.
Lee finished 5-3 for an 18-6-1 Hawks team, but the record does not come close to telling the full story of how dominant he was.
The Viera ace posted a 0.80 ERA across 52.2 innings, threw three complete games, recorded two shutouts, allowed just 21 hits, gave up only six earned runs, struck out 72, and held opposing hitters to a ridiculous .117 batting average.
That is why Carter Lee is the 2026 BSN Baseball Ace of the Year.
Lee’s WHIP was 0.854, meaning opponents were barely reaching base once per inning, which is elite in high school baseball and when you add in the schedule he faced, the case becomes even stronger.
He threw a complete-game shutout against Vero Beach to open his season, followed with seven innings against Lake Mary in a 6-1 win, tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout against Satellite, and then came back with six no-hit innings and 11 strikeouts against Eau Gallie.
That stretch alone would make him one of the top arms in Brevard County but Lee kept backing it up.
He struck out 10 in five innings against New Smyrna Beach, punched out eight while allowing just one hit against Satellite later in the season, and even in losses, he often gave Viera a chance to compete against quality opponents.
For a young Hawks team that won 18 games and played a ton of close baseball winning eight by one or two runs, Lee gave Matt Gifford exactly what every manager wants from an ace.
He gave Viera a chance every time he took the baseball and most nights, he gave them much more than that.m
Lee was the most dominant run-prevention arm in the county, and his ability to miss bats while limiting hard contact separated him from an outstanding group of pitchers across the 321.
He was not just good. He was elite. Carter Lee is BSN’s Ace of the Year.
BSN ACE OF THE YEAR
CARTER LEE — VIERA
5-3 RECORD
0.80 ERA
52.2 INNINGS
21 HITS ALLOWED
13 RUNS ALLOWED
6 EARNED RUNS
24 WALKS
72 STRIKEOUTS117 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
0.854 WHIP
3 COMPLETE GAMES
2 SHUTOUTS
BSN PITCHING STAFF
The staff behind Lee is one we wouldn’t want to have to face.
CLAY MACCONNELL— MELBOURNE
7-0 RECORD
1.59 ERA
48.1 INNINGS
25 HITS ALLOWED
15 RUNS ALLOWED
11 EARNED RUNS
20 WALKS
58 STRIKEOUTS148 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
0.936 WHIP
Clay MacConnell was the tone-setter for one of the best teams in Brevard County.
The Melbourne ace finished 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA and consistently delivered against quality opponents throughout the season.
MacConnell held hitters to a .148 batting average, struck out 58 batters in 48.1 innings, and gave the Bulldogs a true No. 1 arm during their 20-6 season.
His best performances came in some of Melbourne’s biggest games.
He struck out 10 against Eau Gallie in February, threw a complete-game shutout against Vero Beach in a 1-0 win, allowed just one run across six innings against Merritt Island in a 3-2 victory, and came back with six shutout innings against Viera in the district championship.
That is ace-level work.
MacConnell’s combination of command, poise, and ability to control games made him one of the most valuable pitchers in the county and a major reason Melbourne spent the entire season among the top teams in the 321.
JESSE DECTER — MERRITT ISLAND
8-0 RECORD
2.49 ERA
45 INNINGS
35 HITS ALLOWED
17 RUNS ALLOWED
16 EARNED RUNS
15 WALKS
74 STRIKEOUTS200 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
1.111 WHIP
If Carter Lee was the most dominant ace by pure run prevention, Jesse Decter may have been the biggest big-game arm in Brevard County.
Decter went 8-0 for a Merritt Island team that finished 24-5, and he delivered in the moments that mattered most.
His postseason performance against Jensen Beach was electric, as he threw four scoreless innings, allowed just one hit, and struck out 10 in a 10-1 regional quarterfinal win.
He missed an immaculate inning twice by one pitch in the same game.
Then came American Heritage.
Facing the defending Class 4A state champions and one of the deepest lineups in Florida, Decter worked 5.2 innings, allowed just one run, struck out seven, and outdeuled top MLB prospect Brady Snow helping Merritt Island win a 3-2 thriller in Game 1 of the regional semifinals.
That is the kind of outing that does not just win games. It defines reputations.
Decter struck out 74 hitters in 45 innings, posted a 2.49 ERA, and found ways to win against high-end competition. His season earns him an easy spot on the BSN staff and places him firmly among the most important arms in the county.
BROCK LUSTIC — EAU GALLIE
6-2 RECORD
1.92 ERA
43.2 INNINGS
28 HITS ALLOWED
14 RUNS ALLOWED
12 EARNED RUNS
14 WALKS
59 STRIKEOUTS175 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
1.041 WHIP
Brock Lustic was one of the biggest reasons Eau Gallie remained dangerous all season.
The Commodores finished 15-11, but Lustic gave them front-line pitching that could match up with anyone.
He finished 6-2 with a 1.92 ERA, struck out 59 hitters in 43.2 innings, and held opponents to a .175 batting average.
The South Alabama commit had several signature outings including a game against Satellite when he went seven innings, allowed just three hits, struck out 14, and helped Eau Gallie win 4-2.
He also threw four no-hit innings with nine strikeouts against Regis, went 6.2 strong innings against MCC, and battled American Heritage in a 1-0 postseason loss where he allowed just one run across six innings striking out seven and walking none.
That final outing matters because it showed exactly what Lustic was capable of against championship-level competition.
He was tough, competitive, and consistently gave Eau Gallie a chance to win.
KAYDEN DOUGHERTY — COCOA BEACH
6-0 RECORD
1.75 ERA
40 INNINGS
23 HITS ALLOWED
11 RUNS ALLOWED
10 EARNED RUNS
26 WALKS
60 STRIKEOUTS161 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
1.225 WHIP
Kayden Dougherty was one of the top two-way players in Brevard County, but his work on the mound deserves its own recognition.
Dougherty went 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA for a Cocoa Beach team that won a district championship and took top-seeded Lakeland Christian to three games in the regional semifinals.
He struck out 60 hitters in 40 innings, held opponents to a .161 batting average, and repeatedly came through in important spots.
Dougherty was excellent early in the season against Eau Gallie, struck out eight in four innings against Space Coast, threw 5.2 shutout innings in a 1-0 win over Lake Highland Prep, and delivered four critical innings in relief during Cocoa Beach’s 6-5 Game 1 win over Lakeland Christian.
That performance helped the Minutemen steal the opener on the road and nearly pull off one of the biggest series wins of the postseason.
Dougherty’s value went far beyond numbers, but the numbers were strong enough to make him one of the five best arms in Brevard County.
JUST MISSED
GARRETT HARPER — COCOA BEACH
3-0 RECORD
2.07 ERA
44 INNINGS
28 HITS ALLOWED
13 EARNED RUNS
30 WALKS
69 STRIKEOUTS179 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
1.318 WHIP
Garrett Harper had a ridiculous freshman season and was right there in the conversation for a staff spot and he will undoubtedly reach the starting nine.
He struck out 69 hitters in 44 innings, held opponents to a .179 batting average, and delivered several high-end performances against quality teams.
His 13-strikeout outing against Titusville, his 6.1-inning performance in a 3-2 win over Satellite, and his six-inning effort against Lakeland Christian in Game 3 showed the kind of arm Cocoa Beach has moving forward.
Harper is already one of the most exciting young players in the county, and if this season is any indication, his time on this list is coming fast.
KEIRAN CUMMINGS — PALM BAY
6-5 RECORD
2.32 ERA
24 HITS ALLOWED
15 EARNED RUNS
32 WALKS
64 STRIKEOUTS145 OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE
1.241 WHIP
Keiran Cummings also deserves recognition after putting together a strong season for Palm Bay.
He held opponents to a .145 batting average, struck out 64 hitters, and had several dominant outings where his record did not always reflect the way he pitched.
Cummings threw five no-hit innings against Bayside, allowed just one hit in a tough 1-0 loss to Astronaut, struck out 10 against Bayside later in the season, and gave Palm Bay quality work across a challenging schedule.
BSN SAYS
This was not an easy selection because Brevard County had more than a few arms that could take over a game.
Decter had the postseason moments. MacConnell had the undefeated record and big-game consistency. Lustic had the swing-and-miss stuff against strong competition. Dougherty had the combination of dominance, versatility, and postseason value.
But Carter Lee had the most complete ace profile in the county.
The ERA was elite. The opponent batting average was absurd. The WHIP was the best of the group. The strikeout total was strong. The complete games and shutouts backed it up, and the way he repeatedly kept Viera in games made him the right choice.
The best ace does not always have the flashiest win total.
Sometimes the best ace is the pitcher nobody wants to face because every inning feels like a fight.
That was Carter Lee in 2026.
Viera Hawks Baseball
Melbourne High Bulldog Baseball
Eau Gallie Commodore Baseball
THIS AWARD SPONSORED BY Orange Pest Control
