(South Bend) — Construction at Four Winds Field will continue through the 2025 season…both on and off the field.

The 36-year-old facility at the corner of South and Taylor is getting a second-deck and major upgrades as part of 48-millionidollar bond issued by the state of Indiana. The expansion will increase the stadium’s capacity to over 10,000 fans and includes a new upper deck, expanded seating areas, and an events center.

As nice as all that is for fans, many of second-year skipper Nick Lovullo’s players hope they aren’t around to see the finished product by opening day of 2026.

“First and foremost, that’s the name of our game…we want to help the Cubs win games in the major leagues,” states the South Bend skipper. “We have a very high-level plan for each player and what they need to achieve to hit those indicators and what it’s going to take to get called up. We’re gonna follow those plans and execute that as best we can.”

“If you’re too focused on where you want to be, you end up not performing at the level that you’re at,” admits pitcher Caleb Watkins, back for his second season in South Bend. “It’s a fine balance. We’re taking it day-by-day, but that’s easier said than done.”

“i think we’re going to have a winning team,” notes infielder Brain Kalmer. “We’re very well-rounded. We’ve got some new faces. We’ve got a good amount of returners to help the new guys. Our expectations should be to win a lot of ball games.”

South Bend is the high-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and opens its season Friday in Beloit. The home opener is set for Tuesday, April 9. Former South Bend manager Mark Haley, who endured five brain surgeries in 2024, is expected to throw out the first pitch for the 7 p.m. start.