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Far from it.

Vianney baseball coach Dave Stewart has toyed with the idea of putting his senior designated hitter somewhere on the field.

鈥淚 would if we weren鈥檛 so good defensively,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 start at first base for a lot of teams in Missouri, but the depth we have defensively, I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a chance.鈥�

But his bat is too good for the Griffins to ignore, so for the last two seasons Jaworowski has embraced the designated hitter role.

The designated intimidating presence in the heart of a terrifying lineup that is in the state semifinal round for the first time since Vianney won the Class 5 championship in 2018.

鈥淲e really like him in that role,鈥� Stewart said.

Vianney (37-1) will play Marshfield (26-11) at 10 a.m. Friday in the first Class 5 state semifinal at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.

Summit (26-7) and Platte County (28-8) will play at 1 p.m. Friday in the second semifinal game, with the winners advancing to play in the Class 5 title game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Jaworowski admitted that when he accepted the role of just swinging the bat and not trotting out to the field, it was tough on him mentally.

鈥淗onestly, it is really tough. When you鈥檙e not hitting and you鈥檙e the DH, you鈥檙e not producing for the team and that鈥檚 been really tough,鈥� Jaworowski said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in this role for a year and two and it has helped.鈥�

That experience for the past two years has paid off in droves.

Last year as a junior in his first season as Vianney鈥檚 designated hitter, he posted a .286 batting average with four home runs and 15 RBI.

This season, it鈥檚 nearly night and day different.

The University of Cincinnati commit is batting .383 with a .691 slugging percentage. He鈥檚 second on the team with 30 RBI and has a team-high six home runs.

鈥淗is mental side has been his biggest improvement,鈥� Vianney senior Trey Jozwiakowski said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always been huge and has the talent. His dad is a great coach who has coached him well. The mental side, it鈥檚 hard to come out every day and stay at it every day, but he鈥檚 gotten a lot better at it.鈥�

Stewart remembers where one bad at-bat last year would compound into a bad day, if not a bad week, at the plate.

Not this year.

鈥淲e talk a lot about flushing things,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淭he second an at-bat is over, you have to flush it. You can see him in the dugout. He paces for a minute, and then he stops. It鈥檚 almost like that at-bat is over and he moves on. He鈥檚 done a really good job with the mental side of things.鈥�

Jaworowski smiled when he admitted that an 鈥淥h-fer鈥� day still got to him, but after a full year and offseason of work, it stings less.

鈥淭hose 0-for-4 games really used to weigh on me. They still do, but it鈥檚 not as bad as it was because I know I can still help the team,鈥� Jaworowski said.

That mental aspect went hand in hand with his desire to do whatever it took for the team. He joked that he鈥檇 take an inning or two at whatever position his team needed him.

But there鈥檚 only one stat that he cares about.

鈥淭he team winning is the most important part,鈥� Jaworowski said.

That mentality is something the Golden Griffins live and breathe by when they exit the locker room before a game.

鈥淭he best part of this, win or lose, the overall theme is that they play for each other,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 real fun to coach these guys. There鈥檚 zero selfishness. We have a big sign in our locker room, 鈥楢nything for the team.鈥� They hit it every game. It鈥檚 that their mindset.鈥�

Jaworowski鈥檚 teammates notice his work ethic.

He shows up to practice early and is locked in the batting cages honing his craft.

鈥淲hen people are out, he鈥檚 in the cages,鈥� Vianney senior Nick Steurer said. 鈥淗e puts everything into this and the rewards speak for themselves.鈥�

Stewart, a 2007 Vianney standout and former University of Nebraska baseball player, knows what the University of Cincinnati is getting when Jaworowski鈥檚 Vianney career wraps up Saturday.

鈥淎 really good bat with a lot of talent,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淗is size, his hands are really quick. A lot of people think, a big lefty, like I was, kind of a slow swing, but he has phenomenal hands. Once he fills out, he鈥檚 going to be very dangerous.鈥�

Jaworowski has two more games with the Golden Griffins, and he鈥檚 not taking them for granted before he becomes a Bearcat.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome,鈥� Jaworowski said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 ask for anything else. These guys are my brothers. We鈥檝e been competing all year. It means the world to me that we鈥檝e got two more games.鈥�