200 Hits With Hausser

After joining the Milwaukee baseball team as a walk-on his freshman year, Justin Hausser made an immediate impact with the Panthers and earned a spot on the Horizon League All-Freshman Team following the 2022 season.
 
He took the reins and became Milwaukee's everyday first baseman during his sophomore year and added 188 hits to add to his 25-hit freshman season, becoming just the 10th player in Milwaukee program history to reach 200 career hits.
 
Hausser became the first player to reach the 200-hit mark in nearly a decade, following all-time hit leader Luke Meeteer, who reached the mark early in the 2016 season. Meeteer, recently inducted into the Bud K. Haidet Athletics Hall of Fame, finished his career with 273 hits.
 
A Wisconsin native, Hausser concluded his Panther career with 213 hits and a .310 batting average. He posted career-best marks in 2025 in several categories, including doubles (20), triples (2), home runs (6), RBIs (40), walks (22), and slugging percentage (.485), culminating in recognition as a Horizon All-League honoree.
 
Recently, the staff at The Roar Report caught up with Hausser to reflect on his baseball journey, his time at Milwaukee, and what it meant to reach the 200-hit plateau.
 
Roar Report: How did you get into baseball growing up, and at what point did you know that playing baseball at the collegiate level was a possibility?
 
Justin Hausser: Throughout elementary and middle school, I was definitely more of a basketball player, and I played baseball mainly because it's what my friends did. But when I was 12, I got my first taste of travel baseball and really fell in love with the game. That's when I started working hard at it. I didn't seriously think about college baseball until my sophomore year of high school.
 
RR: What ultimately led to your decision to choose to play baseball at UW-Milwaukee?
 
JH: I choose UW-Milwaukee because I wanted to represent the state of Wisconsin at the Division I level. I also really loved the coaches and the relationship they built with me throughout the recruiting process.
 
RR: You made an immediate impact your freshman season and were named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team, how impactful was that for your career long term?
 
JH: I think it was huge for the mental part of my game. It proved to me that I could succeed at this level, and that confidence propelled me throughout my career.
 
RR: Did your approach change at the plate at all during your career?
 
JH: Definitely. At the start of my senior season, I tried to play hero ball a little too much, and that led to very little success. I eventually flipped my mindset and went back to what I know best – just getting the barrel to the ball.
 
RR: After your junior season, you had 144 hits, did reaching 200 hits become a goal for you as a senior?
 
JH: It was the only personal goal I set for myself when I sat down with Coach Shaun Wegner before the season. We had a lot of team-based goals, but that was the one individual milestone that I focused on.
 
RR: You ultimately reached 200 hits, and had career highs in doubles, triples, home runs, walks, and RBIs. What was working for you as a senior, and what did it mean to get to 200 career hits?
 
JH: I think my experience in the Horizon League really helped. I had a good sense of what pitchers were trying to do against me, and that played a big role in my success. Reaching 200 hits means the world to me. It's a reflection of all the hard work I've put into my career and into UW-Milwaukee baseball. Being the 10th player in program history to reach that milestone is something I'm really proud of.

RR: What would you say are some of your favorite memories with Milwaukee baseball?
 
JH: The energy we had throughout this season's entire conference tournament stands out. It didn't end the way we wanted it to, but the energy our coaches and players brought to every game was something special. It was fun to be a part of.
 
RR: What's next in your life and will baseball still be a part of it?
 
JH: My next goal in life is to find something in the baseball world or the fitness world. I'd love to use the experience I've gained to have a positive impact on young athletes coming up in the sport.