A U.S. state team with hopes of reaching the 2026 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania has officially been disqualified from competition.
Oklahoma's team, represented by Tulsa National Little League, was disqualified from the Southwest Regional Tournament. Earlier this month, Tulsa National Little League's softball team was booted from the same edition of the tournament for a similar offense. Tulsa's Little League baseball team was disqualified after a joint protest was filed by other teams.
A protest against Tulsa, Oklahoma's team was filed by three other Little League teams. The teams claimed that Tulsa had an ineligible player on the roster. Ultimately, the Little League International Tournament Committee ruled that Tulsa National Little League did have an ineligible player participate in the Southwest Regional and disqualified the team.
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The Little League committee ruled that Oklahoma's Sunday afternoon win over Louisiana in the Southwest Regional semifinals was a forfeit. Thus, Louisiana's team advanced to the Regional Final, taking on Texas.
Little League World Series released official statement
"Following a recent protest related to the eligibility of players on the Tulsa National Little League Baseball team, the Little League® International Tournament Committee has determined that a player who participated on the team during the International Tournament is ineligible," the statement read.
"As a result, the committee has removed Tulsa National Little League from the Little League Baseball® Southwest Region Tournament and declared its previous game a forfeit. The decision of the Little League International Tournament Committee is final and binding.
"Based on the forfeit, the Little League Baseball Southwest Region Tournament will conclude with a one-game championship between Texas West (Boerne Little League) and Louisiana (Ascension Parish Little League) on Monday, August 10, 2026, at 2p.m. CT in Waco, Texas.
"To uphold the integrity of the International Tournament and provide an opportunity for every team, community, and, most importantly, child, to have a fair and equitable experience, Little League International relies on adult volunteers and parents to adhere to our Rules, Regulations, and Operating Policies. Little League International is committed to supporting all children impacted by this decision and will continue to provide support and administrative guidance to the families in Tulsa National Little League."
Little League baseball has specific roster rules for teams, including age limits and where the players are from. Players are only allowed to participate in teams in their area, for one.
The 2026 Little League World Series will continue on ESPN this week.
