By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Feb 26, 2011 at 4:07 PM

Expectations and confidence is high at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix, where the Milwaukee Brewers are gearing up for the start of Cactus League play and what could be a very exciting 2011 Major League Baseball season.

Pitchers, catchers and position players have been working out under the beautiful Arizona sun but back in Milwaukee, where temperatures hovered in the teens, fans lined up for the start of single-game ticket sales at the team's annual Arctic Tailgate.

Fans started claiming places in line as early as Wednesday night and by the time tickets went on sale Saturday morning -- including a limited supply of tickets to the April 4 home opener against Atlanta -- a line of tents reached around the stadium.

"I was walking around yesterday talking to some of the people," Brewers Executive Vice President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said. "It amazes me, even with the snow and the rain and the cold... I kept thinking about them when I was safe inside and warm while they were outside in tents.

"They're Wisconsin people. They're prepared. They've got their hunting clothes, their grills, their sleeping bags, where else would you find this but in Wisconsin?"

By default – because two other fans had to return to their cars – Jaycen Bardega was first in line Saturday morning when the ticket windows finally opened. Dressed for the weather with a Brewers winter cap and several layers of team apparel under his overalls, Bardega made his way to the ticket window and ordered four tickets to the opener and a couple more for the Rising Stars minor league game on April 2.

He lucked out, snagging a pair of Diamond Box seats for the opener with two more for up in the terrace. He'll be there – with about 20 friends – when the Brewers and Braves take the field.

Bardega walked away from the ticket window shouting emphatically "yeah, Opening Day!" while clutching his ticket envelope tightly before flashing his goods for the assembled media.

He'd waited about 50 hours waiting. Was it worth it?

"Oh yeah, it's worth it. No doubt about it," Bardega said. "It's a long haul sometimes but this was a very good year for the weather. I'm happy."

He's even happier with the moves the Brewers made during the off-season, which added pitchers Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke to the starting rotation.

"It shows me that ownership is really serious about winning," Bardega said. "The organization is great. Look at what happened in '08. This place was rocking and it's going to happen again."

The Brewers have been successful at the gate the last few seasons, drawing an average of 2,937,896 over the last four years, well above the National League average of 2,661,551. The team set a record in 2008, when 3,068,458 fans rocked Miller Park as the Brewers returned to the postseason for the first time since 1982.

They followed that up with another three million season in 2009 but dropped to 2,776,531 last season, as Milwaukee finished a disappointing 77-85.

Still, Schlesinger takes pride in the fact that the team was able to keep the turnstiles spinning during a down year.

"To almost draw 2.8 million fans last year for a team that, quite frankly, wasn't in the race from the get-go, I think it said all you need to know about the fans," Schlesinger said. "They're great. They come to Miller Park, they support the team, and they listen to Uecker. We're privileged to be in this market."

The additions of Marcum and Grienke, along with the decision to keep Prince Fielder for one more year have helped the Brewers become a top ticket again. The Brewers surpassed the one million tickets sold mark on Jan. 19 – tying a franchise record set after the 2008 playoff run.

The goal again is for another three million season, something that's likely if the team plays up to its potential and is a contender in September. In the long run, though, Schlesinger has bigger ideas.

"My goal is frankly for three million fans to not be a news story," Schlesinger said. "I want us to feel like that's expected. I know we have a lot of expectations for ourselves. I know our fans have a lot of expectations for the team.

"From my perspective, I'll tell you: three million is where we want to be as a team this year. I want to keep setting attendance records so really, it's three million-plus."

The team sold 98,000 tickets Saturday, the second-highest mark for the first day of sales. Three games -- Opening Day, the April 9 game and Aug. 27 games against the Cubs -- sold out, though single seats, standing room and obstructed-view tickets may remain.

Fans can still get tickets to opening day and other marquee and high-demand games with the purchase of a partial or full season ticket plan.