The Elmhurst-River Forest 13/14U all-star team that again advanced to the 2026 Little League Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan was disqualified earlier this month from competing in the international event.
In a press release posted on the Little League website, the Little League International Tournament Committee, upon a review of a protest filed against the Elmhurst Youth Baseball Little League, verified a player on the Elmhurst-River Forest team was ineligible to play as outlined in Little League Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies.
In the release, Little League stated upon review by the Little League International Tournament Committee, in conjunction with the Central Region Office, the Tournament Committee ruled the player in question in the protest was ineligible and it therefore deemed the Elmhurst Youth Baseball Little League’s Junior League Baseball Tournament Team ineligible to participate further in the International Tournament and forfeited the team’s last played game—the championship of the Central Region tournament.
Additionally, the Little League International Tournament Committee declared the second-place Central Region team from Whitefish Bay Little League as the Junior League Central Region champion that represented the region in the recent Junior League Baseball World Series.
Little League further added in the release that the decision of the Little League International Tournament Committee was final and binding.
The combined Elmhurst-River Forest team went 4-0 to originally win the Central Region title in Midland, Michigan. Elmhurst-River Forest defeated Whitefish Bay 10-0 in five innings in the championship game. Prior to the disqualification ruling, it was Elmhurst-River Forest’s third Central region title in a row. The team also won the Illinois Little League Junior state title.
Whitefish Bay went 2-2 in the Junior World Series losing to Southeast, beating Southwest and Southeast, and losing to the Michigan District 5 team.
