It started a year ago when Deer Creek Little League (Oklahoma) questioned the eligibility of Tulsa National Little League (Oklahoma) after the team finished third at the 2025 Little League Softball World Series.
Fast forward to 2026, and the same Oklahoma representative was disqualified from the Southwest Region Tournament.
The 2026 Tulsa National roster was nearly identical to the 2025 one. The biggest difference was a player listed on the team, who attended school in Arkansas during the 2025-26 academic year.
This detail was revealed when Softball On SI obtained a copy of the first of three protests filed at the Southwest Region Tournament in Waco, Texas. Industrial Little League (Texas East) filed the first official complaint to Little League International and questioned the residency of six out of the team’s 11 players.
From there, Greater Helotes (Texas West) followed with a similar protest on Sunday.
Both of those protests were denied, according to coaches from both teams. A Little League spokesperson provided an explanation via email as to why the first protest was denied, too.
“The Little League International Tournament Committee has carefully reviewed a protest regarding Tulsa National Little League in the Little League Softball Division,” the email said. “After reviewing the information provided, along with the eligibility documentation previously reviewed by Little League International, the committee determined that the information provided did not substantiate the protest. As a result, the protest has been denied.”
However, Eastbank Little League (Louisiana) flipped the tournament on its head when it filed a protest on Monday that didn’t just question Tulsa National’s eligibility, but it challenged the validity of the official documents submitted to compete in the Southwest Region Tournament.
“These violations for falsifying a tournament affidavit have raised questions regarding if any of the information in the affidavit is true,” the protest states. “As a result, we request: Immediate investigation into the above two players’ residency verification to validate the information in the affidavit is falsified. Disqualification of ‘Team Oklahoma’ from all 2026 postseason play. Disciplinary action against District Administrator Mindy Abbott and Steve Skocik for knowingly signing falsified information in a tournament affidavit.”
Word began spreading on Monday night that Team Oklahoma was called into offices on site, and two hours before first pitch on Tuesday was when the official news was delivered to Texas West and Louisiana – Oklahoma had been disqualified.
Because of Oklahoma’s removal, Tuesday night’s game became the championship. Texas West won 2-0.
ESPN confirmed how the news was delivered several times throughout the broadcast.
The decision to remove Oklahoma from the tournament is bittersweet for Deer Creek because it blew the whistle a year ago. The kids from that league missed out on an opportunity to compete for a World Series berth for reasons beyond their control.
Kelsey Looman helps run Deer Creek and posted a public message on Facebook after the news regarding Tulsa National’s disqualification broke.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eu88voGkd
So many kids and their families are owed an apology from Little League for how this has been handled, and that includes the kids from Tulsa National who didn’t ask to be the villains in the story.
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Official statement from Little League
The official statement from Little League International brings forward more questions because the first two protests in 2026 were denied and the concerns raised in 2025 were ignored.
“Following additional protests and information provided regarding the
eligibility of players on the Tulsa National Little League Softball team, the Little League International Tournament Committee has determined that the adult volunteers and parents did not provide sufficient documentation to verify that all players are eligible to participate in the International Tournament based on either their school enrollment or bona fide habitation within the league’s
official boundaries,” the statement says.
“As a result, the Tournament Committee has removed Tulsa National Little League from the Little League Softball Southwest Region Tournament and declared its previous game a forfeit. Accordingly, the Little League Softball Southwest Region Tournament will conclude with a one-game championship between Texas West (Helotes Little League) and Louisiana (Eastbank
Little League) on July 21, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. CT in Waco, Texas. The decision of the Little League International Tournament Committee is final and binding.”
The statement from Little League is significant because Tulsa National could have its league charter revoked, according to the official rule book. That will also affect the Tulsa National baseball team, which is scheduled to play in the Southwest Region Tournament in the coming weeks.
In addition to losing the charter, the adults involved could be banned from Little League because they knowingly violated Little League policy.
The specific consequences have not been addressed publicly, but other local Little League board members and coaches hope this scandal brings forth change at the state and regional levels.
This week in softball
Little League softball World Series contender disqualified from southwest region tournament
Two more protests filed at Little League softball southwest region tournament
New eligibility protest emerges at Little League softball southwest region tournament
Japan, Puerto Rico advance to WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Final
ESPN announces exclusive coverage of 2026 Little League softball region tournaments
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