Get to know U High baseball player Matt Sauser
NORMAL, Ill. — A Q&A with Matt Sauser who is a baseball player at University High School in Normal.
What is your favorite sound in baseball?
Matt Sauser: My favorite sound in baseball is by far a fastball hitting the sweet spot of the catcher’s mitt and hearing the pop.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Sauser: Play video games, play basketball, and hang out with my friends.
Ask someone in your family to pick one word to describe you. Who did you pick and what word did they use?
Sauser: I asked my brothers and they said “competitor.”
As an athlete, what is a rule you live by?
Sauser: Stay calm under pressure.
What jersey number do you wear? Why?
Sauser: My favorite number is 26. I have worn 26 my entire life, both for baseball and basketball. U High doesn’t have 26, so I wear 13 because it is half of 26.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from baseball?
Sauser: How to control my emotions and to still have fun while competing against the best players in the country.
What is your favorite baseball facility to play in?
Sauser: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals). I was able to get a chance to play there last summer.
What has been your favorite memory on the baseball field?
Sauser: I was pitching this fall and a high chopping ground ball was hit back to me. I had to jump as high as I could and then throw it to first to end the inning.
What has been your favorite memory away from the baseball field?
Sauser: My oldest brother, Jack, is a senior at Northwestern University and he has an apartment in Evanston. This summer, my brother, Luke, and I stayed with Jack for a few days and hung out at the beach and in Chicago.
Describe what the recruiting process was like for you. How did you get connected with Florida State? Why did you ultimately choose to commit to Florida State?
Sauser: I started getting recruited my freshman year and originally committed to the University of Iowa as a sophomore. But a week before National Letter of Intent signing day in November, Iowa’s coaches called me to let me know that their pitching coach, Coach Lund, was taking a job with the Detroit Tigers. Coach Lund was a big reason why I chose Iowa. So, after he left, I decided to open my recruiting again to see if there might be other opportunities for me. I wasn’t able to take any official visits my sophomore year because it was during COVID.
So, when I opened up my recruiting this November, I was very fortunate to be able to take official visits to South Carolina, Alabama, Arizona and Florida State. I really liked all of those schools and coaches a lot. But I really connected with Florida State’s coaches and got a chance to go to dinner with some of their players. Coach Link Jarrett was the national coach of the year last year and FSU is one of college baseball’s most successful programs. I loved the campus, the facilities, their conference and their academic excellence. Right away, I knew that it was the perfect place for me.
What is your favorite meal and who makes it?
Sauser: My favorite meal is our homemade grilled pizza with stuffed crust that my mom makes.
What has been your favorite class in high school?
Sauser: Environmental science.
If you could be good at any other sport (besides baseball), which sport would it be?
Sauser: Basketball. Growing up, I idolized Michael Jordan and always wanted to go to the NBA.
How did you prepare in the offseason for your senior year?
Sauser: I worked out and trained at K’s Academy. They helped me gain weight and strength.
What movie have you watched the most?
Sauser: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
What is your go-to restaurant in town?
Sauser: Chick-fil-A.
What food could you eat every day?
Sauser: Chicken wings.
What household chore do you find satisfying?
Sauser: Mowing the lawn.
What is your pregame routine?
Sauser: I start ground stretches about an hour and a half before the game followed by dynamic stretches. Then I stretch out my arm and do some bands. I follow that up with long toss and then I bring it in and finish with a light bullpen. I make sure I am drinking water while I do all of this.
What will make the Pioneers’ season a special one?
Sauser: Creating memories with my teammates and hopefully bringing home some hardware.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Sauser: When I was younger, I was told that I looked like I wasn’t trying and that I need to always throw with intent no matter the situation.
What is your favorite memory of playing youth sports?
Sauser: The overnight tournaments, staying in hotels and hanging out with my teammates.
What is your favorite part of practice? Least favorite?
Sauser: My favorite part of practice is when we throw bullpens. My least favorite part is when we do baserunning.
Where will you be and what will you be doing in four years? Ten years?
Sauser: In four years, I hope to be in the minor leagues working as hard as I can and competing. In 10 years, my dream is to be in the MLB, hopefully with a house and family.
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