TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — A recent third-place finish at the Little League Softball World Series has put Team Oklahoma, comprised of players from the Tulsa National Little League, under scrutiny. Concerns have been raised by parents, league officials, and former administrators over whether some athletes on the roster were eligible to compete under Little League rules.

Little League International rules require players to live within specific boundaries or meet detailed residential qualifications to play on certain teams. However, multiple individuals are now alleging that Team Oklahoma may have violated those guidelines, not just this year, but in past seasons as well.

Kelsey Looman, a public relations board member for Deer Creek Little League, tells us she has voiced concerns and made reports on possible rule infractions by the Tulsa National Little League.

“Our district administrator, who also happens to be the person who runs Tulsa Little League, loads the team,” Looman said.

Little League’s conflict of interest policy prohibits board members, officers of Little League Baseball, district administrators, and other field personnel from participating in any activity that could lead to a perception of divided loyalty.

Kenneth Crawford, a former assistant district administrator for Oklahoma Little League, says the direct recruitment of players by a state Little League official is a violation of these rules.

“I questioned the eligibility of this team. I researched them, I recorded conversations. I couldn’t get clear answers,” Crawford said. He tells us that in a phone call recording he took last year, Mindy Abbott, the current district administrator for Oklahoma Little League, admitted to recruiting from club teams in the area.

One message thread shared by Looman showed a parent asking if their daughter could play for Deer Creek Little League, a request that was denied due to boundary rules.

“Even if they joined another Little League, they’d have to redshirt their first year. But then we saw that same girl playing for Team Oklahoma in the Southwest Regionals,” Looman explained.

Both Looman and Crawford say they reported their concerns, along with documentation, to the southwest regional director and the tournament committee.

“It just kind of fell on deaf ears,” Crawford added. “There’s no transparency.”

Looman said the committee responded, “We have faith in the integrity of our parents and coaches; they don’t even want to question the documentation these people submitted.”

NewsChannel 8 reached out to the Southwest Regional Little League, which issued the following statement:

Upon the review of a protest filed against the Tulsa National Little League in the Little League Softball division, the Little League International Tournament Committee, in conjunction with the Southwest Region Office, has determined that Tulsa National Little League has provided supporting documentation consistent with what is required to meet Little League Regulations regarding tournament team and player eligibility.

Little League rules state that players must play a minimum of eight regular-season games to qualify for tournament play.

Kevin Zappe, a softball manager whose Texas team competed against Team Oklahoma in the Southwest Regionals, says he also questions the legitimacy of Team Oklahoma.

“They have a manager’s meeting, and that’s where we found out that Oklahoma had shown up and never played a game before. So, there’s red flags going off everywhere because in Little League that’s illegal,” Zappe said.

All three expressed concern that these practices go against the values Little League is supposed to uphold. “We’ve circumvented the system,” Crawford said. “It hurts the kids, the integrity of the game, and the competition.”

NewsChannel 8 reached out directly to Mindy Abbott, district administrator for the Oklahoma Little League. She has not responded to requests for comment.

The Southwest Region concluded its statement by saying:

If it is later determined that the facts presented by any tournament team are inaccurate, the Little League International Tournament Committee reserves the right to impose additional penalties, including suspension or revocation of tournament privileges for the entire league, team, manager, and/or players involved.

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