A Little League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, had its season extended Monday following a Texas judge's temporary restraining order, reinstating the team just hours after it was disqualified by tournament organizers over an ineligible player.
The Tulsa National team was removed from the 2026 Little League Baseball Southwest Region Tournament after a protest was filed concerning a player's eligibility. The specifics of the ruling were not immediately clear, according to tournament officials.
Little League Baseball had initially declared its decision final and stated that Tulsa's previous game would be considered a forfeit. This ruling would have set up a championship game between Texas West and Louisiana. However, Judge Ryan Luna of Texas' 414th District Court intervened.
Judge Luna granted a temporary restraining order that permits Tulsa National to continue playing in the tournament. The order mandates that the championship game proceed as scheduled on August 11. The winner of this game is slated to represent the Southwest Region at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
"Judge Luna made the right decision to give the boys an opportunity to play the game and decide everything on the field," read a statement from Tulsa National's attorney. "These boys are ball players and ball players do just that – play ball."
The reinstated championship game will pit Texas West against Tulsa National in Waco, Texas. The winner will secure a spot in the Little League World Series.
This situation echoes past eligibility controversies in Little League history, most notably the 2001 incident involving Danny Almonte. Almonte, then a pitcher for a team from the Bronx, New York, dominated the competition at the Little League World Series before it was discovered he was older than the 12-year-old age limit. His team subsequently forfeited all its wins.