Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SOUTH BEND – It was a season unlike any other South Bend has ever seen. Bolstered by a brand the locals know and love, the South Bend Cubs were the toast of the town in 2015. And the club only expects to raise the bar for the upcoming 2016 season.

The boost the franchise needed came when South Bend became the affiliate of the Chicago Cubs before the start of the 2015 season, moving away from the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the Cubs brand in a town like South Bend, only 80-some miles away from Wrigley Field and all the hoopla the team has and is generating, it was only natural that the South Bend Cubs would take off.

Record attendance, both single-game and season figures, as well as upgrades to the old Cove, now Four Winds Field, gave so many reasons for fans to return in droves. Not to mention the baseball was pretty good, too. The Cubs drew 347,678 fans, a franchise record for any season in South Bend, and also topped 8,000 fans in a game in multiple games for the first time ever.

Team president Joe Hart is shooting for 400,000 in 2016, and feels 2015’s new feel was no fluke.

The splash pad at Four Winds Field, located just beyond right field.

“It is exciting to see all the excitement with the Big Club (Chicago) and it certainly creates a lot of interest in South Bend as well,” Hart said. “There is a great Cubs fan base in our region and it has shown this offseason. Our season seat sales have increased by nearly 30 percent as we head into 2016.”

South Bend finished six games out of a playoff spot in its first season, rallying from a sub-.500 first half to finish two over and 65-72 overall. Among the roster successes were some of the brightest prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization, including Midwest League Prospect of the Year Gleyber Torres, as well as top pitching prospects Ryan Williams and Jake Stinnett plus first-round draft pick Ian Happ.

South Bend is expected to have another strong roster as the Cubs continue to load up on prospects as the parent clubs builds for the future. A story by the Bleacher Report in February listed the South Bend Cubs to have one of the strongest rosters of any minor league club in America. Some of the names the South Bend Cubs listed Sunday prove that.

Eloy Jimenez takes the honor of new top prospect, ranked as the ninth-best prospect by Baseball America. Jimenez hit .284 with a .328 on base percentage last season with the Eugene Emeralds.

“Eloy has made huge strides as a young prospect and is ready to compete at this level,” said South Bend manager Jimmy Gonzalez. “He is a hard worker and determined to continue doing so.”

Along with Jimenez, the outfield is projected to shine with the addition of Donnie Dewees, a second round pick from the 2015 draft, and Eddy Julio Martinez, who was ranked as the top international prospect according to MLB.com.

Pitchers Carson Sands and Justin Steele highlight the pitching staff. Sands, a fourth-round pick in 2014, finished with a 3.92 ERA in 57 innings of work with the Emeralds last season. Steele was picked in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. With the Emeralds, Steele posted a 2.66 ERA in 40.2 innings of work.

With most minor league franchises, the baseball experience is more than just nine innings inside the chalklines. The performance center outside the right field concourse has created an entirely new entity for not just South Bend Cubs baseball, but the community as a whole. Run by Mark Haley, the former head coach for the South Bend Silver Hawks, the performance center is unlike anything around as far as baseball opportunities.

One addition to the performance center is an outdoor veranda, to give fans another unique eye of the game.

The South Bend organization plans to keep the stakes high as far as entertainment options and buzz within Four Winds Field. Former Cubs Gary ‘Sarge’ Matthews, as well as Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins are lined up to appear during games. There will also be 50-inch TV giveaways during each inning of every Saturday game, as well as fireworks shows and many surprises to be announced throughout the season.

South Bend opens its season at home April 7 against West Michigan. You can follow the team on Ink Free News all season long, or keep up with the club on the team’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.