SOUTH BEND – It’s been a record-shattering first half of the 2015 season for the South Bend Cubs.

And while Sunday may have been the first day of summer, it also capped off a huge weekend for the Class A minor league team.

According to Joe Hart, 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. That’s more fans than have ever attended a game in the history of South Bend baseball.

At the close of Sunday’s game, 160,550 fans entered Four Winds Field in the first 35 games this season, up from just over 103,000 during the same period last year-representing a little over 55% increase in attendance.

“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.

As the South Bend Cubs take a break for All-Star games this week, in which five players from the roster will compete, Hart said everyone in the front office is gearing up for an even busier second half of the season.

“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.”