St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Jeff Suppan, who led his team into the National League Championship Series by beating the Dodgers 6-2 Oct. 10, is a champion on and off the field, say his former high school baseball coaches from Crespi High School in Encino.

"We're all very proud of him; he's finally getting his chance," said Crespi High School assistant varsity baseball coach Craig Sherwood, who attended the game last Sunday wearing a red Cardinals' hat.

Suppan's postseason victory followed a 16-win breakthrough season with the Cardinals after more than a decade of playing professional baseball since graduating from Crespi in 1993. He previously pitched for Arizona, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Boston before joining St. Louis for the 2004 season. His 16-9 mark was tops on St. Louis' National League Central Division champions, who won a major league leading 105 games in 2004.

Suppan, 29, had been a standout Crespi baseball player, pitching a varsity no-hitter as a freshman. According to Sherwood, Suppan demonstrated early on that he had the skill and mental capacity to excel in professional baseball attainable by only one in 500,000 Little League players. "He was very focused, very mature," said Sherwood. In 1991, Suppan helped his team win the 15-16-year-old Mickey Mantle World Series in Waterbury, Conn. No baseball player at Crespi has ever managed to beat his record of 11 home runs in a single season.

"He's the same kind person today as he was in high school," said Sherwood. "I've never seen him not make time to talk with somebody." Suppan recently visited Sherwood's class and attends football games and pep rallies when he's not busy playing baseball or running his San Fernando Valley restaurant, "Soup's Grill," along with his wife, Dana.

He credits the support of his wife and his family for his success. Several of his family members and dozens of Crespi faculty and alumni were among the crowd of 56,268, the largest in Dodger Stadium history, that witnessed the championship game.

"He's a role model for the students --- very honest and hardworking," declared Greg Cornell, Crespi's director of institutional advancement who has gotten to know Suppan from his campus visits. According to Cornell, Suppan carries on the prayerful spirit of the Carmelites who staff the school, making a point to pray before each game.

"He's really committed to where he got his roots," said Cornell, adding that Suppan is particularly proud of Crespi's baseball program. He financed a new pitcher's mound for the baseball team, which won the CIF baseball championship two years ago and the league title last year.

Throughout his career, Suppan also has supported Baseballers Against Drugs, the Arthritis Foundation, The Paralysis Project and "Teammates for Kids Foundation."

"We're hoping to throw a reception for him after the Cardinals win the World Series," Cornell said, optimistically.