Judge Backs Little League's Removal of Tulsa From Regional

Judge Backs Little League's Removal of Tulsa From Regional

A Texas judge dissolved his own restraining order and upheld Little League's decision to remove Tulsa National over an ineligible player. Texas West advances.

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A wild two days of youth baseball ended with the sport's rulebook intact. A Texas judge dissolved his own temporary restraining order and upheld Little League's decision to remove Tulsa National Little League from the Southwest Region Tournament, ending the Oklahoma team's run one win short of the Little League World Series.

The reversal, reported by ESPN, closed a saga that briefly put a regional final back on the schedule before the courts stepped away.

Tulsa National Removed for an Ineligible Player

Little League International ruled that Tulsa National's 12-and-under team had an ineligible player on its roster and pulled the club from the Southwest Region bracket. The team had beaten Louisiana on Sunday to reach the regional final, putting it a single victory away from a trip to Williamsport.

Then came the protests, the removal, and the lawsuit from Tulsa parents that sent the matter to court.

Judge Ryan Luna's Restraining Order and Reversal

Judge Ryan Luna of the 414th District Court first granted a temporary restraining order that reinstated Tulsa and called for the regional final to be replayed against Texas West in Waco. Little League responded with an emergency motion to dissolve the order, arguing it had followed its own policies and that replaying the game was not workable.

Luna agreed and vacated the order. In a statement, Little League Baseball pointed to what it called the court's timely and considered decision to allow enforcement of the tournament committee's ruling.

The Challenger Division Detail That Sank the Appeal

The eligibility question turned on a technicality. The player's spot on the roster was tied to a sibling's enrollment in Tulsa's Challenger Division, an adaptive program for kids with intellectual and physical challenges, which can open enrollment options for a family.

According to the filings, the sibling was registered under an incorrect age and never actually took part in Challenger Division practices or games, which negated the provision that had made the player eligible. It was not the first eligibility problem for the organization this summer. Tulsa National's softball team was removed from regional play earlier for a similar issue.

Texas West Advances to the Little League World Series

With the order dissolved, the Texas West team from Boerne remained the regional champion and kept its place in the Little League World Series field. The Texas club had won the Monday semifinal that became the de facto final once Tulsa was removed.

The Little League World Series continues in Williamsport next week. Follow along for more youth and grassroots coverage on the BallerTube news page, with additional reporting from ESPN and News On 6.