The Little League World Series hasn’t even started, but the road to Williamsport has already become unusually messy.
A player eligibility dispute involving Tulsa National Little League escalated from the baseball field to a Texas courtroom this week—including restraining orders and parental pleas—ultimately ending the team’s bid for the Little League World Series.
Here’s what happened:
Tulsa National’s team of 10- to 12-year-olds was disqualified from the Southwest Region Tournament on Monday after Little League International determined that a player who had competed for the team earlier in the tournament was ineligible. The player had appeared during the Oklahoma state tournament, but was removed from the roster before Tulsa competed in the regional tournament in Waco, Texas.
Due to the disqualification, Little League declared Tulsa’s previous regional game a forfeit, leaving Texas West’s Boerne and Louisiana’s Ascension Parish to play for the regional title. Boerne won 4–1 Monday afternoon and was initially crowned Southwest Region champion.
