If Fernelys Sanchez doesn’t like pressure, he sure has a funny way of showing it.
He handled media requests before and after both games of the PSAL Class A semifinal series against Lehman with aplomb, discussing the series’ convoluted back story — George Washington coach Steve Mandl’s suspension stemming from Lehman coach Adam Droz’s complaint — he was at the center of. Then Sanchez went out and led George Washington to the PSAL Class A finals.
He drove in the game-winning runs in Game 1 and made the possible game-saving catch in Game 2. If not for the dynamic junior’s contributions, the Trojans may not be headed for Saturday’s championship game against No. 1 Tottenville – they could be going home.
It was a stunning performance considering what Sanchez has gone through. He transferred from Lehman to George Washington at the start of his sophomore year and was cleared to play for the Trojans.
At the time, Droz accused Mandl of illegally recruiting Sanchez, which Mandl and Sanchez have denied. The PSAL launched an investigation that found Mandl guilty and suspended him for one year.
Sanchez, now a junior, sought to transfer after he moved from The Bronx to the Inwood section of Manhattan the summer before his freshman year.
He first sought a geographic transfer after moving in with his father in Manhattan, then later a safety transfer after filing a police report for an incident involving five other students outside of school grounds. He was granted a medical transfer after a doctor determined his grades were suffering due to mental and emotional distress from repeated incidents around school and the long commute.
“I came to this school because I was trying to get closer to home and I have friends here,” he said. “[Coach Droz] thought Coach Mandl was trying to take me; it wasn’t true. Coach had nothing to do with my transfer.”
Hitting near the bottom of the lineup, he batted .368 with 15 runs scored and seven RBIs. He is considered a prospect because of his impressive speed and projectable 6-foot-2 frame.
“If he can continue to evolve offensively, it will be interesting to see where people stand with him in 2012,” one major-league scout familiar with Sanchez said. “There are two schools of thought on him and he’ll determine which way people go.”
Despite his pro potential and speed, Carbone has batted Sanchez ninth in the playoffs. It gives George Washington a double leadoff man look, the interim coach said.
“Fernelys has to be one of the better nine hitters in the country,” Norman Thomas coach Nerva Jean Pierre said.
Sanchez didn’t let the suspension affect his season, though teammates have said it bothered him, that he felt somewhat responsible for the legendary Mandl’s separation from the team he loves. Before Game 2, Mandl said, Sanchez called him, telling the coach how much he wanted the victory. Mandl suggested he win for himself and his teammates.
“I’m glad it was him,” Mandl said. “He made the big play, he got the big hit.”
Sanchez didn’t figure in much with his bat in the 5-1 win, but his glove came through big time. Using his standout speed, he tracked down Angel Zapata’s drive to deep left-center with the bases loaded and GW ahead by four runs.
“That was major-league stuff – a game saver,” Carbone said.
Afterward, Sanchez was all smiles. He talked about not liking pressure, yet somehow coming up big underneath it. He said he had no problem with Lehman – Sanchez still has friends on the team – or Droz. When the topic turned to Mandl, however, he grew serious.
“Everywhere we play, everywhere we go, coach is on our mind,” center fielder Fernelys Sanchez said. “We’re doing it for him.”