Pelicans take sixth spot in MiLB ballpark rankings

MYRTLE BEACH,S.C. (October 31, 2016) - This past weekend, Stadium Journey released its Minor League Baseball Ballpark Rankings and TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark, the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and back-to-back Mills Cup Champions, ranked sixth out of 160 minor league ballparks on the list. Since the publication began ranking the ballparks back in 2011, the Pelicans have placed in the top ten of all minor league facilities.

For the sixth straight year, the ballpark experience at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark is the highest ranked member of the Carolina League. It is also the top-ranked ballpark experience among Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates. The Pelicans are also the highest rated Advanced-A MiLB team.

Stadium Journey annually ranks each ballpark within its own league, across Minor League Baseball, and across stadium experiences in all sports. The ranking list is based primarily on the score of their correspondents, known as their FANFARE rating. This is a compilation score consisting of marks for 1) the ballpark's food & beverage options, 2) the overall atmosphere, 3) the neighborhood around the park, 4) the fans, 5) the access, 6) the overall return on investment, and 7) one category for any extras or special features. They also use the ratings of the site's readers, known as the "crowd score" as the primary tiebreaker.

The Pelicans received four or five stars in every category, with five stars being the highest mark possible. The team earned an overall FANFARE score of 4.5 for the 2016 season.

The review of the TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark includes the following statement, "the Pelicans have done an amazing job of catering to both local die-hards and casual tourists. With the massive variety of food options and many entertainment options, TicketReturn.Com Field is easily a premier minor league venue."

The publication will release their latest Top 100 Stadium Experiences list prior to the start of next season. Since its inception in 2011, the Pelicans have maintained a Top 50 ranking on this list, which ranks stadium experiences across all sports including collegiate, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR, and more. The team's highest recorded ranking came in 2012 (#19).

The 2016 season was the 18th season for the Pelicans franchise and second as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].

About Stadium JourneY: Stadium Journey provides information on how to make the most out of trips to live sporting events through their reviews of sports stadiums from around the world. For more information, visit www.stadiumjourney.com.