Little League has not released an official statement on the Southwest Region championship and the ongoing controversy that involves Tulsa National and Boerne as of 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 11. A Waco-based judge issued a temporary restraining order that required Texas West to play Oklahoma on Tuesday night even though the latter was disqualified but it does not sound like the game will be played.
Does a court in the Lone Star State have any jurisdiction over a non-profit baseball tournament in Pennsylvania?
According to my sources, Little League considers its ruling final. The de facto championship game was played on Monday and the victors will advance to the World Series in Williamsport as the Southwest Region representative. This is a fluid situation. Stay tuned to this thread for updates throughout the day.
Boerne advanced to the World Series after Tulsa National was disqualified.
The Southwest Region baseball tournament got underway on Thursday morning. At some point over the next few days, Boerne filed a formal protest against Tulsa National.
The Oklahoma-based Little League organization has a history of scandal. Its softball team was involved with a failed eligibility cover-up in 2025 and was disqualified from the Southwest Regional in 2026 due to the continued use of ineligible athletes.
And now it is happening in baseball.
Boerne’s initial protest against Tulsa National’s baseball team was denied by the governing body. A secondary protest filed by three out of the six opponents at the Southwest Regional challenged four key points: sibling participation, league eligibility, pitching more than one game in a day, and completing a game. Team Oklahoma was accused of falsifying its results and exploiting Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges to make its players eligible.
As first reported by Maren Angus-Coombs of Softball on SI, the protest asked Little League 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.” It worked!
Little League announced on Monday morning that Tulsa National was disqualified from the tournament. As a result, the Monday afternoon game between Texas West and Louisiana would serve as the championship game. The winner goes to Williamsport.
Texas West won. Boerne punched its ticket to the World Series.
Or so we thought… There are a lot of unanswered questions.
Will Little League adhere to the temporary restraining order?
Texas West defeated the Louisiana team around 4:00 p.m. CT on Monday. Tulsa National was granted a temporary restraining order by Judge Ryan Luna of the 414th District Court in Waco approximately 25 minutes later.
Court documents show Tulsa National knowingly used an ineligible player in the Little League International tournament. That does not change the decision.
Judge Luna’s ruling allows Team Oklahoma to play in the tournament. He ordered the previously-scheduled championship game to go forward on Tuesday evening. The winner will be the Southwest Regional representative at the World Series.
This is where things get weird. Does a judge in Waco, Texas have jurisdiction over Little League?
Little League is structured as a private, non-profit organization. It was founded in 1939 and granted a federal congressional charter in 1964 to protect its name and marks, but it operates as a private entity rather than a government or public agency with its own board and its own rules.
The organization is based out of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Judge Luna is based out of Waco, Texas.
According to my sources, Little League International does not think it has to adhere to the court order. It can invite whomever it wants to the World Series. It considers the disqualification ruling to be final. Texas West will be the Southwest representative.
Texas West is not going to play on Tuesday.
As far as I understand the current situation, Boerne is not planning to show up on Tuesday to play Tulsa National and has the full backing of Little League International. If the temporary restraining order means the championship game will be ruled as a forfeit loss in the eyes of the court, then so be it. Texas West will take the forfeit loss to Oklahoma. Little League will still disqualify Oklahoma and invite Texas West to the World Series.
It is my understanding that most — if not all — of Texas West’s roster (and their parents) has already traveled home. The Boerne Independent School District started classes on Tuesday.
Boerne is not in Waco to play the Southwest Region championship against Tulsa National on Tuesday. It is a three-hour drive.
Little League International is prepared to defend its decision. Boerne is prepared to leave for Williamsport at the end of the week. Its first game at the World Series is set for next Friday, August 21.
If the game was going to be played on Tuesday night, team management is another issue. Texas West played on Monday as if it was the championship game. Certain pitchers may not be available on Tuesday because they threw on Monday. Players will also have to come to grips with the emotional rollercoaster of thinking they punched a ticket to the World Series on Monday only to play again with the exact same stakes on Tuesday.
That does not appear to be a problem. Boerne has the full support of Little League International not to play.
Little League International has not released an official statement as of this writing so everything could change. This article will be updated throughout the day if/when necessary.