Former Mesa State College baseball star Jamie Hamilton was inducted into the 2011 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Hall of Fame. Hamilton played baseball at Mesa State when it was a junior college and when it became a four-year school. He also was Mesa State’s athletic director.
This is not Hamilton’s first time being inducted into a Hall of Fame. In 1997, he was inducted into Mesa State’s Hall as well and recently was selected to the Colorado Dugout Hall of Fame.
“To be honest with you I was surprised that I was inducted into them.” Hamilton said.
The Colorado Dugout Hall of Fame honors college, high school, and youth coaches. It promotes youth and amateur baseball across the state. Hamilton is a part of the second class of inductees. He is honored to be in the Hall with such notables as Sam Suplizio and Gene Taylor, both Grand Junction natives.
Hamilton has spent a good part of his life around baseball. After playing four years at Mesa he signed as a free agent with the California Angels and played in the minors for them for four-and-a-half years. Following his career as a player, he became an assistant baseball coach at Mesa State from 1982-85. Then from 1988-1993 he was an infield instructor for the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system and then had the same position for the Chicago Cubs in 1995.
Hamilton has been associated with the JUCO World Series since he was attending Mesa State.
“When I was a freshman at Mesa playing ball when we were a Junior College we didn’t qualify for the tournament but I volunteered as a ball shagger and have been involved ever since,” Hamilton said. “Once I got out of coaching at Mesa and coaching professional baseball I became the Co-Director of tournament play and then became the chairmen in 2003.”
The NJCAA coaches association on the national level thought his hard work was good enough for him to be selected into the Hall of Fame. There are over 500 members in the NJCAA coaches association and they have a committee. He was selected for his hard work and passion. He chairs 125 volunteers who work at the tournament and promote it. Last year 129,000 people attended the biggest event in Junior College baseball, the JUCO World Series.
Hamilton was Athletic Director at the college prior to current AD, Butch Miller. He now works at the college as the Associate Athletic Director of Fundraising and also has his own business.
He is leading the way for the $8.3 million renovation of Suplizio and Stocker stadium. The concrete grandstand and press box will be completely torn down and a new state of the art press box with reserved seating will be built as well as new dugouts.
“Baseball is a big part of my life, my families life, and a passion I have,” Hamilton said.

afix@mesastate.edu