BASEBALL

Raging Tide sign pair from St. Joseph’s College

The Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England have announced the signing of St. Joseph’s College teammates Nick Whittaker and Nick Lops.

Whittaker, from Yarmouth, is a junior right-handed pitcher and Lops, a Cheverus graduate and South Portland native, is a sophomore catcher.

It is the second straight summer that Whittaker will be a member of the Raging Tide.

BASKETBALL

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Four-time Illinois state champion Jabari Parker and Indiana standout Taya Reimer were picked as the McDonald’s national prep basketball players of the year.

Parker, a 6-foot-8 star from Chicago Simeon, has verbally committed to attend Duke next year.

Reimer, a 6-foot-3 all-state forward from Hamilton (Ind.) Southeastern, is expected to play for Notre Dame.

SOCCER

BANNED: Greece junior international player Giorgos Katidis has been given a life ban from playing in the country for displaying a Nazi salute in a match Saturday, the Greek football association EPO said.

The AEK Athens player used the salute while celebrating the winning goal in a 2-1 victory six minutes from the end of the game against Veria.

EPO said in a statement the player’s gesture was “a deep insult to all victims of Nazi brutality.”

The 20-year-old midfielder later apologized and said he was unaware of the significance of the gesture.

U.S. TEAM: Captain Carlos Bocanegra has been dropped from the roster for World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico, and Timmy Chandler, Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams will miss the matches because of injuries and illness.

Bocanegra, 33, the American captain since 2007, has lost his starting job with Racing Santander in Spain’s second division. He was on the U.S. roster for the opener in the final round of qualifying, a 2-1 loss at Honduras last month, but did not play.

Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones become the leading candidates to take over as captain.

ROAD RACING

RACE CALLED OFF: Tel Aviv cancelled a marathon race set for Friday because of a forecast of hot weather. The move comes after a runner died of heat stroke in a half-marathon during a heat wave last week.

A statement from city hall said the decision follows recommendations by health officials.

Michael Michalevitch, a 29-year-old soldier, died in last week’s race, run in 90-degree temperatures.

Four others collapsed and dozens of runners needed medical treatment. The municipality said it held the race in accordance with the instructions of health officials.

– From staff and news services