A temporary restraining order issued by a Texas judge will allow a previously disqualified team from Tulsa, Okla., to play for a spot in the Little League Baseball World Series.
Earlier Monday, Little League International had removed the Tulsa National Little League squad from the Southwest Region tournament for allegedly using an ineligible player.
However, Judge Ryan Luna of the 414th District Court then granted the order that will allow Tulsa National to play against Texas West on Tuesday in Waco, Texas, according to multiple reports. A berth in next week’s LLBWS in Williamsport, Pa., is on the line.
Tulsa National advanced to the championship game with a 3-2 win against Louisiana on Sunday, a victory that Little League International ruled a forfeit on Monday.
“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 governing body’s statement read.
The player was not named and no further information was given regarding how eligibility rules were broken. Player eligibility is not only based on age (12 and under) but also proof of school enrollment or habitation in a league’s city or area.
Earlier in the tournament, Boerne Little League (representing Texas West) filed a complaint that included four alleged violations by Tulsa National, including not only league eligibility but also sibling participation and pitching more than one game in a day. The protests also called into question whether Tulsa National had conducted a valid season in its Challenger Division, a special needs-focused league.
After the forfeit was called, Texas West defeated Louisiana 4-1 on Monday in what was thought to have been the region’s title game. Instead, Tuesday’s Texas West-Tulsa National winner will head to the LLBWS starting on Aug. 19.
“The winner of the game,” a statement from the Tulsa league read, “will be determined on the field where it should be decided.”
–Field Level Media
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