Knievel Advances To Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championship

Celina Knievel of Neligh will compete in the team championship of Major League Baseball's Pitch, Hit and Run competition.

The 14-year-old advanced to the Kansas City Royals Team Championship competition at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday, June 28. 

"I was very excited," Knievel said when she was notified by email yesterday. "I thought I did pretty well at Sectionals, but I was still surprised."

After winning the pitching portion of the local contest in Neligh, she advanced to the sectional competition on May 24 at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Knievel said she wasn't sure how she fared against the other 13-14 year old girls at that time, but now knows that her score ranked in the top three for the Kansas City market area.

"They add up all of the points and that's how you qualify for Kansas City," she said.

Knievel earned 375 points for pitching, 186 for hitting and 337 for running, bringing her total score to 898 points. She will compete at the Team Championship competition prior to the start of the Royals home game against the Angels. Knievel said she was given two tickets to attend the baseball game as well.

Team championships are being held at all 30 MLB ballparks during June. The top three finishers from each age group across the country advance to the national finals, which will take place as part of MLB’s All-Star Week, July 11-15, in Minneapolis.

Knievel said this is only her second time participating in the Pitch, Hit and Run competition. She earned a trip to sectionals last year too, but this is the first time she has advanced to the team championships.

She is the daughter of Bill Knievel and Linda Miller-Thompson.

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