Representatives of Oklahoma Little League teams have called for immediate removal of state and regional leadership, as well as revocation of Tulsa National Little League's charter, following the scandal that ultimately disqualified Team Oklahoma from the Southwest Region tournament. The call was issued by Pottawatomie County Little League and Deer Creek Little League with the support of over 300 additional Little League coaches, volunteers and parents across the Southwest Region. The letter states that the group stands united in demanding immediate accountability from Little League International following several eligibility controversies and disqualifications involving Tulsa National. "We have no confidence in Oklahoma District Administrator Mindy Abbott to administer Little League in this state with the integrity, consistency and fairness its families deserve," the letter read. "We have no confidence in Southwest Region Director Blaine Whitmire to oversee this region with the impartiality and accountability his position demands." The statement calls upon Little League International to remove Abbott and Whitmire from their positions, revoke the charter of Tulsa National Little League and vacate all 2025 and 2026 Oklahoma State and Southwest Regional tournament titles awarded to Tulsa National Little League.
"The damage caused cannot be undone," it reads. "But Little League International can decide whether the failures that caused it will have consequences. Integrity without equal enforcement is not integrity. Fairness applied selectively is not fairness. And leadership without accountability is not leadership." The Oklahoman has reached out to Abbott and Whitmire for comment. Why was Tulsa National Little League baseball team disqualified? Little League International announced Tulsa National's disqualification from the Southwest Region tournament on Monday, Aug. 10, just an hour before what would become the championship game between Louisiana and Texas West. The joint complaint filed by three Southwest Region teams asked the 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 the complaint, which was obtained by The Oklahoman. In the complaint, the protesters said multiple sources confirmed that Tulsa National Little League partook in fraudulent use of the Challenger program to falsify player eligibility, among other rules violations. The Little League Challenger Division is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Little League World Series rules say players participating at the "Major" level, which runs from ages 10-12, "must have amateur status, and have participated as an eligible player in eight regular-season games by the beginning of the International Tournament, with the exception of the school baseball or softball season." The protest also accused Tulsa National of violating the sibling participation rule, which states that players with siblings age 7 or under may register in any league program without respect to any geography-related eligibility or school enrollment requirements. A sibling was claimed to have participated in the Tulsa National Little League Challenger program, allowing for an older brother to be eligible. The complaint said the younger sibling involved is 10 and therefore not compliant with the rules. In addition, it says Tulsa National did not register or host a Challenger program in 2026. Eligibility protests against Tulsa National Little League softball team Just three weeks ago, Tulsa National's softball team had a similar fate in the Southwest Region Tournament. The Little League International Tournament Committee determined that the adult volunteers and parents did not provide "sufficient documentation to verify that all players were eligible to participate in the International Tournament based on either their school enrollment or bona fide habitation within the league’s official boundaries,” a statement released on Tuesday, July 21, said. As a result, the committee removed the team from the Southwest Region Tournament and declared Tulsa National’s previous game a forfeit. The league requires all participating athletes to either reside within the league’s boundaries through bona fide habitation or attend a school located within those boundaries. According to the statement, the tournament committee works closely with local leagues to verify eligibility documentation and to review any challenges or protests brought to their attention throughout the tournament. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Little League teams demand leadership purge, Tulsa charter revocation