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1B Sports Tehama Tracker Today's games Wednesday December 19, 2012 BOYS HOOPS ATHLETICS Paradise Red Bluff 7:30 p.m. GIRLS HOOPS Red Bluff Paradise 7:30 p.m. Corning At Lower Lake Tourney BOYS SOCCER West Valley Red Bluff 4:30 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Red Bluff West Valley 6 p.m. WRESTLING A's finalize 2-year, $6.5M deal for Japanese shortstop Nakajima OAKLAND (AP) — Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane hopes he got another significant addition from the international market. The A's finalized a $6.5 million, two-year contract with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima on Tuesday, filling a void created by the departures of Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew. This marks the second straight offseason that Beane has added a prominent international player, with the team having signed Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a $36 million, four-year deal last winter. If Nakajima can have anywhere the success that Cespedes had as a rookie, the A's would be ecstatic. Cespedes was major part of the team's surprising season, batting .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBIs to help lead Oakland to the AL West title and first playoff appearance since 2006. The A's achieved that despite having the lowest payroll in baseball at $59.5 million and they didn't need to break the bank to sign Nakajima. The contract also includes a $5.5 million club option for 2015, but Oakland's top draft pick last year, high school shortstop Addison Russell, could be ready for the majors by then. Nakajima, 30, is an eight-time All-Star in Japan and a three-time Gold Glove winner. He has a .302 career batting average with 162 homers in 11 seasons with the Pacific League's Seibu Lions. He has hit 20 or more homers in a season four times. He batted .311 with 29 doubles, 13 homers and 74 RBIs in 136 games for the Lions last season, earning All-Star, Gold Glove and ''Best Nine'' recognition. He also has extensive interna- tional experience, having participated in both the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic for Japan. Nakajima will get a $1.25 million signing bonus and base salaries of $2.25 million next year and $2.5 million in 2014. He can earn up to $1.3 million in performance bonuses next season. Whatever bonuses he earns will be added to his salary in 2014, when he can earn up to $600,000 in bonuses based on playing time. Nakajima could earn as much as See DEAL, page 2B West Valley Corning 6 p.m. SWIMMING NBA Warriors CSNC Kings 7 p.m. On the tube MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 4 p.m. ESPN2 — Xavier at Cincinnati NBCSN — W. Michigan at Duquesne 6 p.m. ESPN2 — North Carolina at Texas NBA 4 p.m. ESPN — Brooklyn at New York 6:30 p.m. ESPN — Milwaukee at Memphis Around town The North Valley Rapids 12U Spring and Summer 2013 travel team is seeking two more players to fill their roster. Girls must be born in 2000 or 2001. Please contact Dennis Cahill at (530) 515-8859 or teamcahill@hotmail.com for more information or to schedule a workout. For more information on the North Valley Rapids, visit www.northvalleyrapids.com . Giants complete 3year deal with righty Casilla SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Right-handed reliever Santiago Casilla has completed a $15 million, threeyear contract with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The deal includes a club/vesting option for the 2016 season. Casilla passed his physical Tuesday, vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans said. The 32-year-old Casilla went 7-6 with a 2.84 ERA and 25 saves last season. He made 73 appearances and pitched 63 1-3 innings. Casilla is set to earn $4.5 million in 2013 and '14 and $5 million in 2015. He would receive a $1 million buyout if his option doesn't vest. He was eligible for arbitration this winter and could have become a free agent next offseason. Follow us on Twitter for live game coverage, exclusive online articles and more. @TehamaSports Courtesy photo The Sun Oaks Aquatic Racing relay team, from left to right, Connor Doran (butterfly), Christi Jackman (backstroke), Molly Bateman (freestyle), and Julia Brandt (breaststroke). SOAR returns from sectionals Special to the DN This past weekend more than 2,000 of the best swimmers in California and Nevada competed in the 2012 SPEEDO Championship Winter Sectionals at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach. One of those competitors was Red Bluff's Julia Brandt, who swam the 100-yard breaststroke on the 400-yard medley relay team from Sun Oaks Aquatics Racing. The championship meet had very fast time standards and featured swimmers aged 12 to 25 years old. Sun Oaks Aquatics was the only team north of Sacramento whose relay team qualified and competed. They placed 27th but felt the experience of swimming against the best will only make them better. The relay team included Connor Doran (butterfly), Christi Jackman (backstroke), Molly Bateman (freestyle), and Julia Brandt (breaststroke). DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Red Bluff Lady Spartans Corning Lady Cardinals Basketball Payten McKerras Freshman 6-foot-2 center Payten McKerras has been a rock in the middle for the Lady Spartans during their 5-1 start to their season, which includes a tournament win in Anderson and a second-place finish at Red Bluff's Holiday Classic tournament. Her shotblocking ability and defensive presence in the paint can't be ignored. Basketball One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to selfconfidence is preparation. — Arthur Ashe Corning sophomore Gates Fears led the Lady Cardinals to their consolation round victory at the Holiday Classic tournament Saturday, when she scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 52-43 win over the Ferndale Wildcats. Fears also was 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine Team congratulates the Athletes of the Week! Gates Fears 800.990.9971 redbluff.mercy.org/sports