BRITISH Baseball may sound like an oxymoron, but beginning today, a squad of 22 players will try to prove otherwise.

The Great Britain national team will compete in the European Championship in the Netherlands, the first step towards earning a spot at the 2004 Olympic Games. Some may scoff, but do not rule out the possibility that British players will be strolling into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremonies in Athens next year.

This is definitely the best team that Britain have put together during the past decade. I should know. I have been a member of the squad since 1996 and played in the last Britain team to win a gold medal in a European Championship.

Britain boast about half a dozen pitchers who can throw between 85mph and 92mph, which is a credible velocity for a professional pitcher in the United States. Some have professional experience, including John Beaven, who threw last season for a Tampa Bay Devil Rays minor league team. Gary Tongue plays in Canada, while several — Glen Buckley in Germany, Alex Smith and Josh Chetwynd in Sweden, and Bradley Marcelino and Ian Young in the Netherlands — compete in Europe.

Nevertheless, the road to success will not be easy. The 12-team European Championship is divided into two six-team pools. Britain’s pool is the more daunting of the two. Italy, who have qualified for every Olympic tournament since the sport joined the official Games programme in Barcelona in 1992, are the favourites. Greece will also be tough because they have allowed American players of Greek descent to obtain passports to play for the team. As a result, their team is stacked with excellent US talent.

Baseball in Europe has improved dramatically in the past ten years. Most notably, Russia, whom Britain play in the tournament opener, have become a legitimate baseball nation. One of the country’s top players was signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and the team are expected to have a former Major League player in their squad. Germany have also sent three players to the minor leagues in the US in the past three years. And for Britain to progress, they must defeat Germany and Spain in the pool stage.

Ultimately, Britain need to finish in the top six to earn a slot in the Olympic qualifying tournament at the end of July; a top-two finish will take them directly to the Athens Games.

GREAT BRITAIN SCHEDULE: Today: Russia (Haarlem, the Netherlands). Tomorrow: Italy (Rotterdam). Sunday: Spain (Rotterdam). Monday: Greece Haarlem). Tuesday: Germany (Amsterdam). Thursday: quarter-finals. Friday: semi-finals. Saturday, July 19: final.