Court Document Shows Tulsa National Knowingly Used Ineligible Player in Little League International Tournament
The Tulsa National Little League controversy reached new heights on Monday when the Major baseball team was disqualified from the Southwest Region Tournament just three weeks after the Major girls were removed from the softball tournament.
However, the baseball team hired an attorney and was granted a temporary restraining order on Monday evening, giving the team an opportunity to continue playing at the Southwest Region Tournament in Waco, Texas.
UPDATE: Tulsa National has been granted a temporary restraining order by Judge Ryan Luna of the 414th District Court in Waco.
— Maren Angus (@Maren_Angus) August 10, 2026
Judge Luna has ordered the championship game to go forward on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. as scheduled.https://t.co/HmR2eeKacw https://t.co/AMK091i9V3
On Tuesday morning, Softball On SI obtained a copy of the court documents, which reveal that Tulsa National knowingly used an ineligible player at the Oklahoma State Tournament. But he did not play in the Southwest Region Tournament.
"The Court further finds that Little League's International Tournament Committee has determined that a player associated with Tulsa National was ineligible, removed Tulsa National from the Southwest Region Tournament, and declared Tulsa National's previous tournament game a forfeiture," the document signed by Judge Ryan Luna of the 414th District Court in McLennan County states. "The player whose eligibility prompted the challenged determination has not participated in any Southwest Region Tournament game.
"The Court further finds that Little League made its determination following multiple protests concerning Tulsa National's player eligibility and on an expedited basis, without providing Tulsa National or the affected families with copies of the protests or a meaningful opportunity to know and respond to the specific allegations against the team before the determination was made."
Here are four of the five pages from the court document detailing the Temporary Restraining Order granted to Tulsa National in its dispute with Little League.
— Maren Angus (@Maren_Angus) August 11, 2026
The court found that Tulsa National faced probable, imminent and irreparable harm if it was excluded from the Southwest… https://t.co/wFixpuT5nn pic.twitter.com/nYbKV4DrHL
The temporary restraining order was granted at 4:23 p.m. on Tuesday, after Boerne Little League of Texas West clinched the Southwest's berth to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
The championship game was original scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday on ESPN and had it all gone according to plan, Oklahoma would have played Texas West.
Boerne Little League does not plan on playing on Tueseday, according to multiple reports. The team has reportedly left Waco, returned home and is packing for the Little League World Series.
News 4 San Antonio also reported that Boerne Little League has the full backing of Little League International's legal team.
The Boerne team and Little league international have no intention of honoring the temporary judgment. LL believes it has full authority to render decisions on eligibility and forfeitures and is prepared to defend its decision. Meanwhile, Boerne is preparing to leave for…
— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) August 11, 2026
The Tulsa baseball and softball teams each faced multiple protests from opponents, claiming they used ineligible players in the International Tournament. Little League considers district and state tournaments as part of the International Tournament.
Those claims were confirmed with the removal of both teams and statements from Little League.
"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 regarding the baseball team said on Monday.
The softball team was disqualified when the Little League International Tournament Committee “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.”
This is a developing story. As updates become available, Softball On SI will provide them.
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Maren Angus was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.