Cody Bellinger, who became a local celebrity at 13 when he led Chandler National in the Little League World Series, was among four former high school athletes inducted into the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony Saturday at Hamilton.
Bellinger, an outfielder and first baseman, who starred on Hamilton’s baseball team in 2013, was named the National League Rookie of the Year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 when he hit a National League rookie record 39 home runs.
“He is a great ambassador for Arizona baseball, as well as Hamilton baseball,” said Hamilton coach Mike Woods, who coached Bellinger in high school. “He has given back to our program and is a source of pride for everyone in the Chandler community at large.”
Others inducted Saturday into the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame were former Chandler High football and track and field standout Dion Jordan, former Chandler Basha baseball player Jamie Westbrook, former Chandler Valley Christian girls basketball coach Scott Timmer and former Valley Christian athlete Ashton Wolf.
Wolf, who graduated in 2011, is a top handball player who graduated from West Point.
Jordan, who was an outside linebacker/defense end at Oregon, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Westbrook was taken by the Diamondbacks in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.
Timmer led Valley Christian girls teams to six state finals, capturing three titles, the last coming two years ago, before stepping down.
Special recognition was given to athletic trainers Lance Michael and Troy Hanzal. Michael is a trainer at Hamilton and Hanzal at Valley Christian.
