Knights to Reach Attendance Milestone
July 11, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Corvallis Knights News Release
The Corvallis Knights will reach a significant attendance milestone sometime during this weekend's West Coast League series with the Walla Walla Sweets.
The 200,000th fan in franchise history will enter Goss Stadium, most likely on Friday night. Entering the series the Knights have drawn 197,674 fans in their six-plus seasons since moving to Corvallis in 2007, so the milestone will be reached Friday if the season average is maintained.
No special ceremony is planned to mark the occasion and the exact identity of the 200,000th fan will never be known. But he or she represents a major accomplishment for the franchise, which was relocated from Gresham after averaging less than 100 fans per game at Mt. Hood Community College in 2005 and 2006.
"We are thrilled to reach this milestone and it's just another indication of how well we've been embraced by residents throughout the mid-valley," Knights general manager Bre Kerkvliet said. "We have strived to be a good partner with all our local communities and to become a summer institution in this area. The support local fans and businesses have shown for our team since we moved here has been spectacular and we are very appreciative of that. "This would not be happening without our great fans, sponsors and supporters."
The Knights drew 12,729 fans in their first season (2007). That number increased steadily over the next four summers to a record 42,447 in 2011, when they swept Walla Walla to win their second WCL championship.
They drew 41,834 in 2012 and are on pace to match or surpass that number this season. Heading into Thursday night's game, Corvallis has drawn 22,292 fans in 18 home dates, an average of 1,238 per opening.
The Knights all-time attendance record is 3,506 for a July 3, 2009, Fireworks Night encounter against the Bend Elks. Capacity was capped at 2,930 after that night and the Knights have hit that magic number on every subsequent holiday Fireworks Night game.
KNIGHTS ATTENDANCE
2007: 12,729
2008: 17,299
2009: 30.064
2010: 31,000
2011: 42,447
2012: 41,834
2013 (as of 7/10): 22,292
TOTAL: 197,674
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