For 15 years, the Route 1 corridor has been home to an all-Latina softball team.

Started in 2006 by Rosa Irma Fuentes, the team was initially called the Matadors until 2012, when they changed to their current name Las Terribles De Maryland.

The team, which practices on a field off Hamilton Street in Hyattsville from April to November, has more than 26 players, almost all of whom are from El Salvador, according to players who spoke with the Hyattsville Wire.

They play against other Latina teams from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia with names like the Panthers, the Indomitable, the Independents and the Lightning Girls. Many of those teams were inspired by the original Matadors team.

Most of the players got into softball in their native countries, but they’re now part of a growing interest among Latinas in women’s softball in the U.S.

Latina participation in college softball has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, spurred by high-profile players like Jessica Mendoza and the return of softball to the Summer Olympics.

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