Year one for the Staten Island FerryHawks is in the books.

Kelsie Whitmore made headlines for the new team by becoming the first female to play for a team affiliated with Major League Baseball.

“I love the energy here. I love the atmosphere here,” Whitmore said. “I love playing at this field in front of our fans whether it’s a small crowd or whether it’s our larger crowds. It’s definitely a family base.”

The team lost more than it won this season with a record of 48 wins and 84 losses, but Eric Shuffler, the team’s president, said the first season was a home run for the borough.

“We have 60 home games a year. Every home game we employ at least 50 people, almost all of whom are local residents hired through the city programs,” he said.

According to Shuffler, they’ve spent significant money renovating the stadium.

“Every game we have, you know, we’re averaging, you know, 12-1,300 people a game. Those are people coming here,” Shuffler said.

The community is coming back together after the north shore took a series of strikes over the last couple of years. 

These strikes include budget issues that broke the plan for a ferris wheel that was supposed to be the largest observation wheel in the world, the struggling Empire Outlet mall spun into bankruptcy, and major league baseball forced out the former Staten Island Yankees when it cut the number of affiliated minor league teams — which left the stadium empty.

But back in August of last year, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Staten Island Entertainment pulled together the FerryHawks, a new Atlantic League team for the Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.

Shuffler said he wants New Yorkers to look forward to what the organization hopes to plan, like concerts and live entertainment. Now that the season is over and he’s calling on Staten Islanders who have event planning experience to help the stadium reach its full potential.

“For this stadium to meet its real purpose as a public, asset needs to be something that has year round entertainment value for people on Staten Island and a big come here for a boxing match or they come here for a, you know, a corporate meeting,” Shuffler said. “They’re going to see what an amazing venue this is, and they’re more likely to come back to a baseball game.”

“I love to be back here to be able to play, but right now it’s focusing on getting better and do whatever I can to continue playing,” Whitmore said.