Whitman’s search for a new mascot erupted in controversy this week after the local Little League announced plans to sue the college for copyright infringement. The Walla Walla Little League Association said Wednesday that it will file suit against Whitman unless one potential mascot, the Blue Ravens, is removed from consideration. Said Little League president Mark Jackson, “We’re frankly shocked that Whitman would have the audacity to propose this mascot and are in conversations with legal counsel as we speak.”

The Little League may have a strong case for its allegations of copyright infringement and plagiarism. In fact, the league actually has its own storied team called the Blue Ravens. Founded in 2014 by a scrappy group of first-graders, the Walla Walla Blue Ravens had a rocky inaugural season, struggling to hit the ball off of tee on a consistent basis. But things really turned around in the 2015 season, as the team earned a league-record ten “most-improved player” trophies at the year-end pizza party. The Blue Ravens are poised for another breakout season in 2016, especially with the addition of Jimmy, the new kid, who already played a whole season of coach-pitch on his old team.

When asked about the naming process for their team, the third-graders said that the decision was initially contested. Said second-baseman Ricky, “Well, it was sorta hard to pick a name cuz Jack wanted Ravens and Timmy wanted to use the color blue.” The contest was heated, Timmy explained, “Blue is my favorite color, so I really wanted that. It matched my light-up cleats.” But as passionately as Timmy’s faction wanted “blue,” their fervor was matched by the “raven” camp, who reportedly liked the option because “ravens are really smart birds.”

Hoping to calm rising tensions on the team, little Matthew Jacobson (ever the peacemaker, bless his heart) had an idea: “Wait, what if we’re the Blue Ravens, guys?” The idea was a hit, and the deal was sealed with a rousing “1…2…3…Blueeee….Ravens!!!” at the end of practice.

The Whitman Mascot Working Group declined to comment on the pending allegations, per the advice of counsel. For those interested in following the Walla Walla Blue Ravens, the team opens the 2016 season this Saturday against the rival Green Hornets.