The Post’s All-Manhattan baseball honors

Norman Thomas’ Luis Monell is The Post’s All-Manhattan baseball Coach of the Year. (Denis Gostev)

Manhattan is a hotbed for PSAL baseball.

George Washington, as usual, was a nationally ranked powerhouse, advancing to the PSAL Class A championship game. Norman Thomas beat GW in the regular season before falling to the rival Trojans in the quarterfinals. Manhattan Center, Beacon and Stuyvesant all had solid seasons and Washington Irving made the ‘B’ semis.

In the CHSAA, Xavier and St. John’s-bound star Nick DiLeo made the playoffs, falling earlier than usual in the second round. Regis made the postseason and fell in the first round.

All-Manhattan baseball Player of the Year: Nelson Rodriguez, George Washington

A memorable career came to a close in heartbreak for Nelson Rodriguez, a 2-1 loss to Grand Street in the PSAL Class A championship game at MCU Park in Coney Island. It was the final moment of a career most could only dream of. It included one city championship, two finals berths, four years starting behind the plate for a national powerhouse and getting drafted in the 16th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Cleveland Indians.

His senior year may not have lived up to his only lofty goals, but the strong-armed backstop build like a ton of bricks still hit a robust .500, bashed three homeruns, drove in 20 runs and scored 17 runs.

“What could you say: it’s hard to get the kid out,” GW coach Steve Mandl said of the 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior who has signed with top JUCO Central Arizona, but may go pro. “He didn’t have a great year and he still hit over .500. He’s always dangerous and nobody wants to run on him either.”

All-Manhattan baseball Coach of the Year: Luis Monell, Norman Thomas

The first-year coach had rather large shoes to fill, taking over for retired head man Nerva Jean Pierre, yet did the job –albeit in a vastly different manner – as good if not better than his mentor. The Tigers entered the season with low expectations, little-to-no star power, but finished tied atop Manhattan A East with powerhouse George Washington and reached the PSAL Class A quarterfinals.

Monell, a St. John’s grad, got the most out of this group. He didn’t yell and scream like Jean Pierre; he instilled confidence in a soothing manner, by believing in his players during tough times. Positions had to be earned and the excellence of stop starters Jeffrey Ledesma and Garbin Villar, who combined to go 11-3 in league play, had to at least some of Monell’s doing, a pitcher in his day at St. John’s.

FIRST TEAM

P Edwin Corniel, George Washington

A forgotten man in early April, one of four pitchers coach Steve Mandl said he could go to, Corniel became the team’s clear ace by late May. With his riding fastball few hitters could catch up to and deceptive breaking ball, he was a playoff star, with three wins and a hard-luck loss in the PSAL Class A championship game to Grand Street. The best is yet to come for the fire-balling senior right-hander.

P Nick DiLeo, Xavier

It wasn’t the best season of DiLeo’s excellent career, which was marked with winning one big postseason game after another. The St. John’s-bound left-hander’s senior year ended rightfully, though, with a playoff gem against Cardinal Spellman.

CF Paul Garcia, Norman Thomas

He could turn around anyone’s fastball, and often did, belting a Manhattan A East-leading 26 hits to go along with 19 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and 13 RBIs. For a team that struggled to score runs, Garcia was the igniter at the top of the order, and emerged as an elite center fielder as well.

P Jeffrey Ledesma, Norman Thomas

One of the city’s top pitchers, the Franklin Pierce-bound Ledesma emerged as a true ace this spring for Norman Thomas. Armed with a high 80’s fastball and improving off-speed stuff, he went 5-1 with a 1.70 ERA, his only loss to rival George Washington, and had 49 strikeouts in 37-1/3 innings pitched. He was just as valuable at the plate, hitting .306 with 16 RBIs for the surprising Tigers, who shared the Manhattan A East crown with the Trojans.

SS Jerry Liang, Manhattan Center

With senior Jesus Medina off to Sacred Heart, Manhattan Center is Liang’s team now. The Rams are in quite capable hands. As a sophomore, Liang got past the inconsistency that plagued him as a freshman, hitting .489 with 19 runs scored and also going 3-1 on the mound. He also hit the game-winning homerun and got the win in releif in a thrilling, 4-3, 10-inning win over George Washington, the team’s first victory over the perennial contending Trojans in 11 years.

SS Julien Machuca, Regis

One of the best hitters in the city that no one ever talks about, the talented senior will play his college baseball next year at Binghamton. Machuca stood out with two hits against national powerhouse Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit at a holiday tournament.

SS/P Jesus Medina, Manhattan Center

The senior shortstop/ace right-hander leaves behind a legacy of excellence at Manhattan Center, as the program’s first Division I recruit – he’s headed to Sacred Hart in the fall – in coach Edgar Leon’s 12-year tenure and the guy who keyed the baseball revival at the school. While the Rams failed to win a division title and get past the second round of the playoffs, bigger things are ahead in Harlem – Medina laid the foundation.

SS Randy Rodriguez, George Washington

For our money, the best all-around shortstop in the PSAL, a whiz with the glove, an automatic double when he got aboard and he has impressive power for his size. His final numbers – .441 batting average, 20 RBIs, 29 runs scored and 22 stolen bases – illustrated why he was so valuable atop the lethal GW batting order.

CF Alexis Torres, George Washington

Pound-for-pound one of the city’s most powerful hitters, Torres was a main cog in George Washington’s potent lineup. He put on a show in the playoffs, with two homeruns and eight RBIs. The JUCO New Mexico-bound outfielder was also the team’s closer and one of its leaders, a key to the Trojans second straight PSAL Class A finals berth.

SS Isaiah Sakany, Beacon

Beacon’s best hitter and starting shortstop also became its top pitcher when injuries befell co-aces Kai Glick and Orlando Adorno. In addition to batting .404 with 16 runs scored and 10 RBIs, the Rolling College-bound senior went 5-0 on the mound with one save and a 2.10 ERA in 23 innings pitched, a major factor of the Blue Demons winning their ninth straight Manhattan A West division title.

HONORABLE MENTION

P Melvin Ali, Washington Irving

LF Michael German, Norman Thomas

1B Dylan Long, Beacon

P Evan Lubin, Stuyvesant

RF Cody Mangano, Xavier

RF Henry Rodriguez, George Washington

3B Wesley Rodriguez, George Washington

P/1B J.P. Ramirez, Xavier

C Alex Sanchez, Manhattan Center

P/3B Josh Smith, LaSalle

P Rick Terry, Collegiate