College Player Dies After an Accident in Batting Practice

University of Arizona sophomore infielder Kelsey Osburn died Monday, six days after being hit in the head by a batted ball during batting practice at Rochester, N.Y.

Osburn, 20, died at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, a hospital spokesman said.

Osburn was playing for the Newark Raptors of the Northeast Collegiate Baseball League. He was running the bases without a helmet during batting practice on July 11 when he was struck in the right temple. He was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted the 35 miles from Newark to Strong Memorial Hospital where he underwent brain surgery. He had been in a coma since the operation.

“It is difficult to put into words our feelings about the events of last week,” Kelsey’s parents, Mike and Emily Osburn, said in a statement released by the University of Arizona. “The outpouring of love and compassion from people all around the country has comforted us greatly and we thank you for all your prayers and thoughts.”

The family has established a Kelsey Osburn Memorial Player Fund in lieu of flowers. No funeral or memorial service plans have been announced.

Tour de France

With his second consecutive title in the Tour de France all but wrapped up, Lance Armstrong was angry at Marco Pantani, the 1998 Tour winner, for blasting the American’s decision to back off in the final yards and let him win the three-week race’s toughest stage on Mont Ventoux last week.

Armstrong, who leads the Tour by 7 minutes 26 seconds with six days remaining, spent the day off answering Italian newspaper comments from Pantani. They included a charge that Armstrong insulted him by backing off during the climb. Armstrong said at the time that he did it because he respected Pantani.

“I felt like it was a gift,” Armstrong said, “but now know that it was a mistake to give him the gift.”

Tennis

Second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov staved off a match point before beating Julien Boutter, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), in the first round of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

Noah Newman of Santa Monica defeated top-seeded Danny Westerman of Los Angeles, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in Mercedes-Benz Cup pre-qualifying, earning a spot in the tournament.

Fifth-seeded Richard Fromberg advanced to the second round of the Dutch Open in Amsterdam, defeating Andrei Stoliarov, 6-2, 6-3. . . . Top-seeded Alex Corretja was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Mariano Puerta in the final of the rain-plagued Swiss Open at Gstaad.

Soccer

Afghanistan’s religious police arrested Pakistani soccer players and shaved their heads, Pakistani officials said. Their crime: wearing shorts, which violates the Islamic dress code.

Members of the club soccer team from Pakistan were arrested Saturday at a sports stadium in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the headquarters of the hard-line Taliban militia, officials said. The arrest came in the middle of the third and final match between the Pakistani and Afghan soccer clubs.

The players were released Sunday, their heads shaved.

Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, whose once brilliant career was ruined by injuries and personal problems, signed a two-year deal with Everton after being granted a free transfer from Middlesbrough.

South Africa will ask FIFA to award it the 2010 World Cup, bid leader Danny Jordaan said. South Africa failed in a bid for the 2006 Cup, losing, 12-11, to Germany in a vote of the executive committee.

Hockey

The Atlanta Thrashers re-signed right wing Donald Audette to a one-year, $2-million contract. Audette, 30, was acquired by the Thrashers in March as part of a four-player trade with the Kings and can be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Basketball

Continental Basketball Assn. President Don Welsh said Isiah Thomas has paid off the $750,000 he owed the league’s owners, clearing the way for Thomas to be hired as coach of the Indiana Pacers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Denver Nuggets signed their two draft picks, centers Mamadou N’diaye and Dan McClintock. . . . The Dallas Mavericks waived former USC guard-forward Rodrick Rhodes.

Miscellany

China has banned swimmer Wu Yanyan from competing for four years because of steroid use, Chinese state media in Shanghai reported. The decision eliminated her from the Sydney Olympics in September. Wu, 22, a world record-holder in the 200-meter medley, failed a drug test in May at the Chinese National Championships.

Sports agent Tank Black, wearing a suit and shackles to a hearing in Columbia, S.C., agreed to be sent to Michigan for a bail hearing on charges he was part of a multimillion dollar drug ring.

Earlier this month, a Michigan grand jury indicted Black and several others on money laundering and drug charges. Black also has been charged in Florida with swindling about 12 NFL players out of more than $5 million and in Louisiana is accused of conspiring to bribe two people connected with the LSU football program.

Dr. Wade Exum, the former drug czar for the U.S. Olympic Committee, filed a federal lawsuit against the committee, claiming its leaders sabotaged his anti-drug battle and discriminated against him because he is black.

Utah quarterback Darnell Arceneaux was free on bail in Honolulu after being arrested for investigation of abuse of a household member.