First half of South Bend Cubs' season draws huge crowds

The South Bend Cubs are experiencing record crowds at Four Winds Field so far this season.

According to the Joe Hart, the President of the South Bend Cubs, Friday night's game against the West Michigan Whitecaps broke the largest single-game franchise record with more than 8,000 fans in the crowd.

In the first 35 games of the season, 160,550 fans have entered Four Winds Field.

This time last year, just over 103,000 fans had attended games at Four Winds Field.

“This is unprecedented, but not unexpected. We were confident going in that we understood what our fans wanted—a Chicago Cubs affiliate with all the bells and whistles of a major league ballpark,” Hart said. “We're thrilled that we've been able to grow our fan base in these first few months. We've spent a lot of time responding to what our fans say—it's truly their win as much as it is ours. It's a great place to spend a night out with family and friends.”

Hart pointed to a couple of other noteworthy first-half statistics:

• Sellouts for 2015: 16 vs. 8 for 2014
• 9 games with more than 7,000 people in 2015 vs. 0 games over 7,000 people in 2014
• Attendance records: Largest opening day crowd in franchise history:  7,086 fans
• Largest single game crowd in franchise history:  8,004 on June 19.

“I think the numbers show that we're committed to the fan experience. And, we're looking forward to showcasing the South Bend Cubs and Four Winds Field throughout the remainder of the season.”