Overtime

Wrestling

Panthers' Mitchem takes state title

Lakeside 130-pounder Tim Mitchem won the Class AAAA state championship during the week¤end in Rome, Ga.

Mitchem was one of three placers for the Panthers, who finished 10th in the 73-team field.

College Baseball

Jaguars soar up to 4th in newest poll

Augusta State reached new heights Monday, vaulting eight spots to No. 4 in the Collegiate Baseball Division II poll released Monday.

The Jaguars (5-1, 3-0 Peach Belt) moved into the highest ranking in program history after a weekend sweep of then-No. 9 Columbus State at Jaguar Field.

Augusta State returns to action against Presbyterian today at 2 p.m., when catcher Sam Barth goes for the league's longest hitting streak at 42 games.

Smith batted.314 with four homers and 40 runs batted in while starting at third base for the Southeastern Conference co-champs. Smith will practice with the team but will not play until the seventh game.

Georgia opens its season Friday at 5:30 p.m. at home against Elon College. Sean Ruthven has been tabbed to pitch the first game.

Tennis

USC Aiken duo pulls upset over top team

The USC Aiken men went 1-2 over the weekend, but its top doubles team of Nicolas Lombardo and Carlos Huerta shocked the No. 1 doubles team in Division II on Sunday.

Lombardo and Huerta picked up the only point for the Pacers (2-2, 0-1 Peach Belt) against Arm¤strong Atlantic State, beating Robert Jendelun and Dale White, 9-7.

The Lady Pacers (3-2), ranked No. 6 in the region, go for their first conference win today against Francis Marion.

Baseball

Twins' Santana agrees to contract

American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a $40 million, four-year contract.

The 25-year-old left-hander, who had been scheduled for a salary arbitration hearing Tuesday, must past a physical before the deal can be finalized.

He the league with a 2.61 ERA and 265 strikeouts last season. He also become the first Venezuelan to win the Cy Young Award and the first unanimous winner in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 2000.

College Football

Neuheisel: Betting issue was surprise

Former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel told a jury he was less than forthcoming when NCAA investigators asked whether he had ever bet on men's college basketball tournaments.

But, he said, the investigators didn't tell him they were going to ask about gambling during that meeting in June 2003 ñ only about potential recruiting violations. When they did, he said, he lied to buy time until he could talk to an attorney.

"They had lied to me. I thought they had tried to set me up," Neuheisel said. "They told me they came for this minor thing... and now they're asking me about organized gambling."

Neuheisel is suing the university and the NCAA in King County Superior Court, alleging he was wrongly fired from his job as football coach that month.

NFL

Browns pull plug on Garcia experiment

Quarterback Jeff Garcia was released by the Cleveland Browns, who cut ties with the three-time Pro Bowler after one bad season. Garcia signed a four-year, $25 million free agent contract with the Browns last March.