Man of the hour: Clutch Trojans celebrate city crown with exiled coach

Amid boisterous chants of “32” – his jersey number – surrounded by his joyous players and assistant coaches and with tears in his eyes, Steve Mandl was finally at peace.

The legendary George Washington baseball coach, suspended for alleged illegal recruiting, wasn’t back in the dugout managing his beloved Trojans Saturday night as they won their third PSAL Class A city championship.

But he got pretty close.

Sitting front row inches from the dugout – PSAL director Donald Douglas said Mandl was within his rights to attend the game – he was able to celebrate with top-seeded GW after it rallied past No. 3 and defending champion Tottenville, 4-2, in thrilling fashion at MCU Park in Coney Island.

Denis Gostev

Suspended George Washington coach Steve Mandl celebrates with his players the city championship victory over Tottenville they dedicated to him.

Photos: PSAL Class A Championship

Denis Gostev

George Washington celebrates its PSAL championship.

Photos: PSAL Class A Championship

Moments after the final out was recorded, interim coach Nick Carbone engulfed Mandl in a hug and soon the rest of the Trojans followed suit. The team was preparing to lift Mandl onto the field, before it was told by school safety officers to move the party down the right-field line.

“I’m so proud of them, you can’t even imagine,” Mandl said. “I would’ve loved to have been out there, but my heart and soul was out there and that’s all that counted.”

The come-from-behind win followed a similar playoff script as GW (22-0) erupted for three runs in its final two turns at-bats. Junior Erick Roman had the game’s biggest hit, a two-run, two-out single off Tottenville ace Michael Sullivan – he of 15-2/3 shutout postseason innings entering the showdown – in the fifth. Henry Rodriguez added a suicide squeeze in the sixth and freshman Ray Hernandez worked a perfect seventh for the save.

Senior Yael Regalado, who missed most of his junior year with arm problems, allowed just two runs over six innings for the win, shutting down the potent Pirates (22-2), who had scored 27 runs in their previous three playoff victories. He held Stony Brook-bound star Kevin Krause without a hit, struck out seven and yielded just five hits.

“Everything I missed last year I had to make up this year,” he said.

If not for another dynamic catch by center fielder Fernelys Sanchez, Tottenville might be celebrating a second straight title. Leading 2-1 in the fifth and with runners on the corners, Sullivan sent a drive in the left-center field gap for what seemed like an extra-base hit. But Sanchez darted over to make the grab, a similar play he made in the semifinals against Lehman.

“He’s big-time,” Carbone said. “He’s nationally recognized for a reason. The kid’s gonna be a great player at the next level – the professional level.”