KAWASAKI — Shooting for a first-ever gold medal, Japan isn't about to let its guard down against anyone and is treating every contest with a one-game-at-a-time mentality.
The host nation takes on Taiwan on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 5th World University Baseball Championship.
Japan manager Tamotsu Enomoto said after his squad's practice on Tuesday, that Japan can't afford to preserve its pitchers for later games, which are likely to be against the United States in the semifinals and Cuba in the final.