For the United States, the journey to the semifinal round of the inaugural Premier 12 began in August.
That was when the committee in charge of putting together the U.S. roster sat down to figure out what the U.S. presence in Japan and Taiwan would look like. Major League Baseball had barred its players from participating, and winter ball and family commitments crossed more names off the U.S. wish list.
Despite the challenges, USA Baseball general manager Eric Campbell, who has been with the organization for eight years, and other decision-makers managed to put together a team that can reach the Premier 12 final with a victory over Mexico in the semifinals on Friday at Tokyo Dome.