CANTON — As the 1988 baseball season opened, Bob Rockwell never envisioned reaching 400 coaching wins. He did not even know he would be coaching, period.

Rockwell was a rookie school teacher that March when Canton opened baseball practices. Its baseball coach, however, ran into time constraints and could not keep going. Canton looked Rockwell’s way and he took the job. Canton baseball has never been the same since.

What he thought might be a short-time gig has become a long-time passion and Rockwell has become one of District 4’s most successful coaches. Tuesday at a field he cares for like a newborn, Rockwell reached another impressive milestone, recording his 400th win as Canton edged Sullivan County, 9-8, in a thrilling Class A quarterfinal. Life works in funny ways and the man who was hired in a flash has become a Canton institution, building and maintaining an outstanding program.

“It just means I’ve been here a long time. I’ve had some great kids over 32 years and I’ve had a great bunch of assistant coaches and Jay Perry has been with me almost all of those years, along with Lyle Wesneski, Craig Route and Jason Gee,” Rockwell said. “We do so many things differently than we did then and I’ve learned so much over the years. Jay Perry is such a mastermind. He could be a head coach any place and he’s just so loyal and has been with me almost the whole time. He knows as much about the game, if not more, than I do, so I’m very fortunate to have an assistant coach like Jay Perry.”

Rockwell sharing the wealth is not surprising. He has never been about himself. He coaches because he loves baseball, but he enjoys working with the kids even more. And the way he sees it, 400 wins is every bit their accomplishment as much as his.

He has maintained that philosophy for the last 32 years, averaging 12.5 wins a season and helping Canton reach the 2012 state championship. Teams can play a maximum 20 regular-season schedule and doing so in northern Pennsylvania is a rarity, so the average wins per season punctuate how successful Rockwell and his teams have been. That 2012 team won 24 games and the 2013 squad which repeated as district champions won 22 more. The wins spiked those seasons, but Canton has maintained consistent winning ways throughout the years and has won 12 of its last 16 games this year.

“I still enjoy the competition and the games. We have great kids. Our kids are super kids,” Rockwell said. “It would be easier to leave if we had kids that weren’t coachable, but these are great kids who are coachable. I’m really lucky to be here.”

Luck has little to do with Rockwell’s success. He is a hard worker and his teams reflect his personality. He knows the game as well as any District 4 coach and constantly has coaxed the most from his players. This year has driven that point home with a team that features 13 sophomores on its 22-man roster rallying from a 1-4 start and winning five straight games. Canton (13-8) often looks a lot different toward the end of the season than it does at the beginning.

The Warriors often look a lot better.

“If you sit down and think about it, that’s a lot of years of coaching and a lot of games played so it’s pretty amazing,” senior pitcher/infielder Michael Smithers said. “He’s taught me a lot of things. My ninth-grade year I was a terrible hitter and from that point on I became a better hitter because of adjustments that he gave me and the tips he gave me.”

“He does everything for us,” freshman pitcher Cooper Kitchen said after working a hitless seventh inning and earning yesterday’s save. “At beginning of the year I never thought I would pitch at all, but I’ve pitched when he needs me to and my hitting has come a long way as well and he has a lot to do with that.”

That is one reason Canton wanted yesterday’s win so much. Rockwell did not advertise going for win No. 400 and the players did not know he was going for that milestone until an announcement was made yesterday during school. Suddenly, the day became as much, if not more, about delivering their coach a historic victory than winning a playoff game and extending the season.

It was the not the easiest game as Sullivan County scored five sixth-inning runs and cut a six-run lead to 9-8. But when Canton had to be at its best it was. Smithers recorded an inning-ending strikeout with the go-ahead runners on in the sixth, shortstop Joel Schoonover made an outstanding play in the seventh and Kitchen induced a game-ending flyout.

Canton players presented Rockwell a poster they signed following the game. But really that win which included so many finger prints was gift enough. That was all about the toughness Rockwell has instilled in his players past and present.

The names change each season, but the coach remains the same. The fire still burns as Rockwell and Canton baseball keep going strong.

“I wanted that for him really bad,” Smithers said. “He’s been coaching here for a long time and getting him his 400th win is pretty awesome.”

“Being a part of his 400th victory really means a lot,” senior designated hitter Taylor Acla said after scoring twice. “He is tough on us at times but that’s only because he cares. He’s helped me ever since my freshman year. He’s made me the player that I am. There are not enough words to thank him.”