EJ Hagins began his college career at Temple University, where he was a member of the boxing team.
However, Hagins had a dream of attending the Naval Academy and his desire to do so was solidified upon learning the institution had such a strong boxing program.
Hagins had been introduced to boxing as a freshman at Coronado High in El Paso, Texas, and developed a real passion for the sport. He emailed longtime Navy boxing coach Jim McNally and was encouraged to apply to the service academy in Annapolis.
Four years later, Hagins has a chance to join an exclusive club. On Friday night, he will try to become a four-time Brigade Boxing champion.
Hagins will be heavily favored to capture the 165-pound crown when he meets junior Isaia Togia in the 84th annual Brigade Boxing Championships, being held at Alumni Hall. He hopes to become the 25th midshipman to receive the Tony Rubino Memorial Award that is presented to four-time champs.
“I really want to etch my name into history,” Hagins said prior to Wednesday’s training session inside Dalghren Hall.
Hagins gave himself a chance to make history by knocking off a defending champ as a plebe. He scored a unanimous decision over Michael Stegeman, who had been his detailer during plebe summer.
“I’d say my first championship was the toughest because I wasn’t used to the big stage and bright lights. I’d never fought in front of a huge crowd like that. It was very nerve-racking,” he said.
As a sophomore, Hagins registered another unanimous decision against Stegemen to repeat as 175-pound champ. He dropped down to 165 pounds as a junior and posted a unanimous decision over Joey Motzel.
Hagins credits the Navy coaching staff for instilling discipline and constantly pushing him to improve. He wakes up at the crack of dawn to do conditioning then puts in a solid two hours of skill development during the afternoon training sessions.
“I would definitely say the jab is what the coaches have really stressed. That was my weak point when I got here,” said Hagins, who usually has a decided height advantage over opponents. “I knew if I wanted to take this to the next level that jab had to be a weapon.”
Last April, Hagins dropped a unanimous decision to Connecticut fighter Samuel Jein in the 165-pound final of the National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships. It was the third straight loss in the finals for Hagins, who considered hanging up the gloves.
Ultimately, Hagins decided to stick with the sport and pursue becoming a four-time brigade champ, but surgery to repair a broken jaw set him back during the fall semester.
“EJ had his mouth wired shut, which kept out of the ring for a solid two months, but he showed a lot of resiliency and has come back full speed ahead,” first-year Navy coach Blake Baldi said.
Hagins still showed up for practice each day to pound the heavy bag and work the speed bag. Being around a group of precocious plebes “reignited the desire inside of me,” he said.
Baldi believes Togia, who hails from Pago Pago, American Samoa, has the athleticism and ability to give Hagins some trouble. It will be important for the underdog to be active from bell to bell and throw punches.
“It’s boxing and anything can happen in any given bout,” Hagins said. “I need to establish my jab early and keep him on the outside. While [Togia] is not a volume puncher, he can land some dangerous and sharp blows, so it will be important to protect myself at all times.”
Meanwhile, Baldi is determined to help Hagins get over the hump and finally capture that elusive NCBA national championship.
“EJ is a tremendous all-around boxer who brings a lot of talent to the table. He has all the skills that you would want in terms of speed, power and toughness,” Baldi said. When you watch EJ in the gym, he might be the sharpest boxer we have. He counter punches, works the body and uses combinations really well.”
Navy’s best boxer on the women’s side is senior Erin Nicastro, who will be seeking her second straight brigade championship at 139 pounds. This will be the fourth time the Long Island resident has reached the finals.
“Erin is just a tremendous all-around boxer. She has really good balance and footwork, a high work rate as well as a great ability to attack with speed and punch in combinations,” Baldi said. “She probably has the best left hook in collegiate boxing. It’s a difference-maker because she can score with it often.”
Nicastro learned about the Naval Academy club boxing program during plebe summer and liked the idea of challenging herself in the ring. She found it hard yet rewarding.
“I stunk at first and lost my first few fights, but that just fueled the fire to find a way to win,” Nicastro said.
Year-by-year improvement culminated with Nicastro beating Clare Long by unanimous decision in last year’s Brigade Boxing Championships.
“It felt incredible to become a brigade champ. Having everyone from my company as well as my parents and sister there to support me was awesome,” said Nicastro, who went on to claim the 139-pound crown at the NCBA Championships with a 4-1 decision of Air Force’s Peyton Glenn.
As one of four captains, Nicastro is focused on leading the Navy women’s team to its third national championship since 2021. The Midshipmen were runner-up by just one point to archrival Army last year.
“Getting that team title would be incredible, and if we win some individual ones along the way that would be great,” she said.
First order of business for Nicastro is defending her Brigade Boxing belt against plebe Iroda Muhammadiyeva, who will be a heavy underdog.
“Anything can happen at brigades and plebes have beaten firsties before. I think that’s the spirit of what Brigade Boxing is all about,” Nicastro said.
Meanwhile, Baldi takes over as Navy coach after spending nine years in the same role at Air Force. He is an Air Force Academy graduate and captured the 147-pound national championship in 2005.
Baldi returned to his alma mater and served four years as an assistant under legendary coach Eddie Weichers before being promoted to the top spot.
“This is a new and exciting opportunity. It’s great to learn about a new institution, a different culture,” Baldi said. “I want to continue the legacy of Navy boxing, but with my own ethos in terms of what’s important to me. I hope to leverage all the things Navy has done well in the past while instilling some new thoughts and ideas.”
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84th Annual Brigade Boxing Championships
Women’s Bouts
125 pounds — Kenzie Moore, Sr., Wixom, MI vs. Stephanie Galindo, So., Palmdale, CA
132 — Emily Spencer, Sr., Georgetown, KY vs. Kate Walls, So., Winston Salem, NC
139 — Iroda Muhammadiyeva, Fr., Murrieta, CA vs. Erin Nicastro, Sr., Long Island, NY
147 — Camille Johnson, Jr., Vail, CO vs. Naima Phillips, Fr.
Men’s Bouts
139 pounds — Pape Daouda Traore, So., Mableton, GA vs. Cam Delay, Sr., Chapel Hill, NC
147 — Stephen Luebbers, Sr., Denver, CO vs. Nick Smith, Jr., Columbia, SC
156 — Luca Fimiani, So., York, PA vs. Gonzalo Rojas, So., Virginia Beach, VA
165 — Isaia Togia, Jr., Pago Pago, American Samoa vs. EJ Hagins, Sr., El Paso, TX
175 — Justin Kirkpatrick, Sr., Apple Valley, CA vs. Zach Cudney, Sr., Cheyenne, WY
185 — Vincent Rawls, So., Farmington Hills, MI vs. James Garcia-Gallegos, So., San Antonio, TX
195 — Steve Brunache, Jr., Pace, FL vs. Sakile Johnson, Jr., St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica
Hwt — Liam McCarthy, Sr., Elmhurst, IL vs. Ahmed Ben Kasdallah, Fr., Tunis, Tunisia