Braves pleased with attendance after first week in Mississippi

<p>The Mississippi Braves built it, and they came. Now comes the hard part: making sure fans keep coming to Trustmark Park.</p><p>Despite the region's unpredictable early spring weather and a rough early season schedule which has the first eight home games scheduled for school nights, team executives say attendance has exceeded expectations _ and will improve when summer rolls around.</p><p>"The fact of the matter is, school's still in session, and the weather is not great in April, and Mondays through Thursdays are always going to be tough for any minor league team," general manager Steve DeSalvo said Wednesday.</p><p>The M-Braves ranked third in the Southern League in attendance heading into Wednesday night's home game with the Huntsville Stars _ despite playing just six home games, fewest in the league so far.</p><p>They've attracted an average home crowd of 3,924 to the picturesque, $25 million ballpark built during the past year in this Rankin County town just outside of Jackson.</p><p>That, despite a lack of success on the field: The M-Braves (6-13) and Tennessee Smokies each had the fewest wins in the league heading into Wednesday night's action.</p><p>The attendance figure is buoyed by last week's overflow opening-night crowd of 7,062. In the five home games since then, the M-Braves attracted an average of 3,297.</p><p>"We've very pleased. Obviously, we knew we were not going to get 7,000 people out every night," DeSalvo said. "I don't know any minor-league team that will be able to do that."</p><p>DeSalvo is hoping for clear skies and warm temperatures when the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx come to Pearl for the M-Braves' first weekend home series.</p><p>"We're very much pleased overall with the amount of people that are coming out," DeSalvo said. "We know that'll build, and we're keeping our fingers crossed."</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/4/146907