Dayton Dragons head to playoffs for first time in over 5 years

DAYTON — The Dayton Dragons are heading to the playoffs for the first time in over five years.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 p.m., the team beat the Great Lakes Loons to get into the playoffs, and fans will have yet another chance to fill Day Air Ballpark.

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Filling the stands will also bring more customers to nearby businesses.

“Stands have been full for all the games. I think they love playing in front of the full crowd,” Eric Deutsch, the Executive Vice President for the Dayton Dragons said.

Deutsch told News Center 7′s Mason Fletcher the team has been riding high off the energy from fans.

The club says it’s now their 24th season in a row of selling out every game, and their seventh time in the playoffs.

Fans were quick to jump on the tickets for the playoff opener.

“We went out to season ticket holders in late July and the response was really quick and really fast. So, they were excited about how the team was performing. They were excited to host playoff games,” Deutsch said.

Fans filling the ballpark can be positive for more than just the team, Deutsch said there’s been $3 billion worth of economic development downtown since the construction of Day Air Ballpark.

As fans get ready for the playoffs, nearby businesses may see higher traffic.

“You definitely notice a difference. Really busy, especially before games and after games,” Letrell Remon, a manager at Winans Coffee said.

Winans Coffee is right across from Day Air Ballpark and stays open until 10:30 p.m. on gamedays. They usually close at 9.

Redmon said he expects even more customers than on a normal gameday.

“Games days are already busy just adding more people. Just curiosity of what’s what’s over there because you see people running in and out,” Redmon said.

The stands will be full of fans for the playoff opener Tuesday night. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

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