If Kenta Maeda gets the start for Japan against Puerto Rico on Sunday, he¡¯ll be pitching in the biggest game of his life.

Maeda has been one of Japan¡¯s premier pitchers over the past few seasons, but his Hiroshima Carp haven¡¯t been very successful during that span. So a start in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic will come with more pressure than the right-hander has ever dealt with.

¡°I¡¯ve pitched twice in the WBC and this is the first international tournament for me,¡± Maeda said. ¡°The next game will be the biggest experience for me. I think that will be a good experience for me.¡±