Overtime

Baseball

Braves scheduled to sign autographs

Four members of the Atlanta Braves, including 1996 Cy Young winner John Smoltz, are scheduled to sign autographs today at The First Tee of Augusta, 3165 Damascus Road.

Jeff Francoeur, Kyle Davies, Brian McCann and former Brave Mark DeRosa are also scheduled to appear.

The cost is $30 per person. For more information, call The First Tee at 364-4653. There is a limit of one autograph per person, and the use of cameras and video equipment is prohibited.

- In Milwaukee, it took six months of negotiating for baseball commissioner Bud Selig to get the tough steroid policy he wanted, mere minutes for baseball owners to approve it.

Owners voted unanimously to ratify the new drug deal, which includes a 50-game suspension for a first positive test.

The players' association executive board still has to sign off on the deal, but that's considered a formality.

"I think everybody's very, very happy this is finally behind us," Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said. "It's a very strong policy, and it's great to have this behind us so we can talk about baseball, not steroids."

- In Pittsburgh, Jason Bay, coming off two of the best career-starting seasons in Pittsburgh Pirates history, agreed to an $18.25 million, four-year contract that covers his arbitration-eligible seasons.

Colleges

Peach Belt adds another university

The Peach Belt Conference added Georgia Southwestern State University as its newest member starting in the fall of 2006.

Georgia Southwestern, located in Americus, Ga., is in the process of beginning conversion from NAIA to NCAA Division II, and league membership will be effective upon meeting the requirements for provisional membership of the NCAA, conference officials said.

The Peach Belt lost Kennesaw State and the North Florida to the Division I ranks last spring, then added North Georgia College and State University this fall.

The addition of Georgia Southwestern returns membership to 12, including Augusta State and USC Aiken.

The Peach Belt Conference was founded in 1991. League teams have won 23 NCAA national championships, including USC Aiken men's golf and Armstrong Atlantic women's tennis in 2005.

Tennis

Nalbandian joins Federer in semis

In Shanghai, China, Roger Federer overcame a second-set lapse against Guillermo Coria at the Tennis Masters Cup to claim his 34th consecutive victory and move within two of a 21-year-old record.

Federer had a stop-start 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Coria, topping the Red Group.

Argentina's David Nalbandian joined Federer in the semis with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ivan Ljubicic in 67 minutes, serving out at love in the last game.

Federer, already assured of a semifinal spot after two earlier victories, mixed flashes of brilliance with 33 unforced errors as he improved to 80-3 this year, two wins shy of John McEnroe's Open era record (82-3) for best winning percentage in a season.

Soccer

Nation celebrates World Cup berth

In Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, tens of thousands of soccer fans celebrating Trinidad and Tobago's first World Cup berth danced to steel drums and soca music as they welcomed home their victorious national team.

The day was declared a national holiday to honor the Soca Warriors, who won 1-0 on Wednesday at Bahrain to gain a spot in next year's 32-nation field.

"I have been standing out here for four hours just to see the Warriors. They did us proud," off-duty police officer Gerod Torres said as he waited to see the team's passing motorcade.

Thousands of Trinidadians waving the country's flag followed the team's motorcade from Piarco International Airport to the capital.