Sitting on an aluminum chair in Holuba Hall with a baseball cap atop her head, Penn State softball coach Robin Petrini was just going about organizing another day of practice.
Watching the mechanics of her pitchers and instructing her catchers, the 14-year coach said not much changes about how she runs a practice.
She joked that her team always works on the same three things: pitching, hitting and fielding. But apparently that routine works. Or at least it's proved successful during the past 14 seasons.
With Petrini collecting 398 career wins, the coach has a chance to reach the 400 mark this weekend when her Nittany Lions (3-2) play five games in the Campbell/Cartier Classic.
While some coaches would try to downplay such a milestone, Petrini didn't need to because she was unaware.
"I had no idea it was even close," she said. "This is the first I've heard of it. ... But you know what? Coaching records are an indication of all the kids you've coached through the years. It's a reflection on the kids, not a reflection on the coach."
Though Petrini led seven Penn State teams to NCAA tournament appearances, her team has failed to qualify the last two seasons.
After the Lions went 19-27 (7-13 Big Ten) last year, it marked just the fourth time in Petrini's 14 years at Penn State that her team had a losing record.
While she has a .549 overall win percentage, that isn't enough to make the former Utah State shortstop content.
"Unless you have over an .800 percentage, then that's a reflection on the coach," Petrini joked. "But I don't pay attention to that kind of stuff. If we win forty games this season, then I'll pay attention."
All that stands in the way of Petrini's milestone is one of the team's toughest tournaments of the season.
The Lions play No. 1 Washington -- the defending NCAA champion -- and three other teams with a winning record.
Among the teams is Petrini's alma mater, Utah State. When the Aggies won the national championship in 1980 and 1981, Petrini was the starting shortstop.
But the coach isn't concerned whether or not she achieves the milestone or who it comes against. She just wants her team to win.
And just like how she compliments her players for helping her make it to 398 career victories, her players said they would love to help their coach reach win No. 400.
"You can look back and be like, 'I helped my coach get to that 400 mark,' and that'd be pretty cool," freshman Cassidy Bell said. "I haven't been with a coach that's ever had that many wins, so it's impressive."
While senior Ashley Griffith has helped Petrini win 82 games, the player tried to quickly calculate just how impressive 400 wins is.
Griffith said if the team plays about 60 games a year, then Petrini has to be hovering around the .500 mark for most seasons. And she was right.
Petrini's teams have finished .500 or above in nine of her 14 seasons, something Griffith attributes to Petrini's knowledge and passion for the sport.
"It's very impressive for any coach to reach a milestone like that," Griffith said. "She knows what she's doing, and that's why we've been able to get that many wins."
