Tulsa National Little League Hit With New Protest Just Weeks After Softball Disqualification

Tulsa National Little League is once again under fire at the Southwest Region Tournament, as three leagues filed a joint protest on Sunday.

This protest, which impacts the baseball program, comes just three weeks after the Tulsa National Softball program was removed from the tournament and its previous game was ruled a forfeit.

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.”

Now, on the baseball side, three Southwest Regional Tournament participants are asking Little League to investigate “whether Tulsa National Little League operated its entire 2026 baseball program in compliance with Little League Regulations, Playing Rules, Operating Policies, Charter Requirements and Player Eligibility Requirements required for International tournament eligibility,” according to a complaint obtained by Softball On SI.

The complaint lays out four regulations that Tulsa National allegedly violated, including the Sibling Participation Regulation II(a)(1), League Eligibility, Pitching more than one game in a day Regulation VI(k) and Completing a game Rule 4.10(c)(2).

In addition to the four violations previously mentioned, the three leagues that filed the protest have accused Tulsa National Oklahoma District Administrator Mindy Abbott and Tulsa National Little League President Steve Skocik of using the Challenger program fraudulently to falsify player eligibility.

“Not only are there multiple sources that have confirmed that Tulsa National Little League did not play a Challenger game this year, there are questions regarding whether the player would even qualify for the Challenger program,” the protest reads. “Using a special needs program in this manner is so egregious that anyone involved with this should be banned for life from Little League.”

The complaint also reveals that a previous protest filed against Tulsa National Little League in Waco two days ago was denied.

“A GameChanger admin has been deleting and modifying Tulsa National Little League GameChanger data since the original protest filed by Boerne Little League,” says the complaint. “These actions show an intent to deceive and/or hide the facts of how the season was played and should nullify any GameChanger data as evidence of player participation during the regular season.”

As a result, the protest is asking for an “immediate investigation into the operating policies of Tulsa National Little League to determine whether or not a valid season was conducted, the disqualification of Tulsa National Little League from all 2026 postseason play and disciplinary action against District Administrator Mindy Abbott and Steve Skocik for knowingly falsifying official Little League documentation.”

How Little League Handles Protests and Potential Penalties

Little League International has established procedures for tournament protests and eligibility disputes, with the appropriate tournament authorities responsible for reviewing complaints and determining whether penalties, including forfeits or removal from competition, are warranted.

However, in an exclusive interview with Softball On SI after the removal of the Tulsa National softball program, Little League Vice President of Operations and International Tournament Director Dan Velte said each protest is handled on a “case-by-case basis.”

“Just because somebody submits a protest, originally, we don't always act on that,” Velte previously told Softball On SI in July. ”We will review it, but until such time that someone can clearly show that there is a violation, and we can look into it and analyze the situation, then we take the appropriate action at that point.”

Softball On SI questioned Velte about whether the softball team would affect the baseball team and/or if there was a timeline for additional disciplinary action.

“There is no set timeline,” Velte said when it comes to revoking a league’s charter for blatantly breaking Little League rules. “There's no set process. But at the end of the day, if there's an opportunity to support a league and to give every child in that community a chance to play, that's our biggest priority. And so, we don't go at it saying that kids that weren't involved in a situation should be punished next. We ask them to confirm through the process that they're gonna follow the league rules and regulations. We want to give every kid an opportunity to play.”

Where Does Little League Go From Here?

With a new protest now involving Tulsa National’s baseball program following the softball team’s tournament removal, attention turns to how Little League officials will respond and what, if any, penalties could follow.

In February 2015, Little League determined that the Jackie Robinson West Little League and Illinois District 4 Administrator knowingly violated Little League International Rules and Regulations by placing players on their team who did not qualify to play because they lived outside the team’s boundaries.

As a result, the league vacated wins from the 2014 Little League Baseball International Tournament, including its Great Lakes Regional and United States Championships, and team manager Darold Butler was suspended from Little League activity. Illinois District 4 Administrator Michael Kelly was also removed from his position and the leagues in District 4 were distributed amongst other districts in Illinois, effectively disbanding the entire district.

Perhaps Little League will have to revisit past cases, such as Jackie Robinson West, as it determines how to move forward with the Southwest Region and Tulsa National because what has been described as a “case-by-case basis” is beginning to raise questions about whether a larger pattern is emerging.

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