Boxing Coach Blake Baldi's first season at the U.S. Naval Academy was one to remember. Six USNA boxers won individual titles at the NCSB National Championship. The men's program won the overall team title and the women's team placed third. The Navy Letterwinners Association sat down with Coach Baldi to get his perspective on the team's accomplishments.

Letterwinners: In your first year coaching at Navy, did you expect those great results at the National Championships?

Coach Baldi: I knew we had a good group of seniors with quite a bit of experience. E.J. Hagins, for example, was a three-time runner up at nationals. Justin Kirkpatrick and Liam McCarthy were also known to have great potential in the collegiate boxing world. So, I knew I was stepping into a strong team and was really happy with how things turned out, particularly on the men's side to earn five individual national titles on the final night. It was really a strong performance.

Letterwinners: You are an Air Force graduate and were the head boxing coach in Colorado Springs for nine years before coming to Navy. Why come to Navy and what are the major differences between the two programs?

Coach Baldi: A big motivation for me was just to be able to do something new. My predecessor at Air Force was there for 38 years, and here at Navy, Coach McNally was here for over 37 years. So, there's not a lot of opportunity for change, but when there is an opening like this, you have to jump on it. My wife also has family on the East Coast, so... that was a big part of it, too. As for the differences between the two programs, at the end of the day, it's still a bunch of 18 to 24 year olds who are motivated to serve their country. I've been very impressed with the midshipmen and their excitement and enthusiasm. I'll admit, I'm kind of in my honeymoon phase still with the Naval Academy and am seeing it through rose colored lenses. I get to work with great kids and they've been super motivated and a good group of future war fighters. It's the best job in the world.

Letterwinners: Navy has a long line of successful boxing coaches. How does it feel to take over a program with such a rich history in boxing?

Coach Baldi: It's an honor and a privilege. My goal coming in was to continue that legacy and do anything I could to improve it. Yeah, you feel some added pressure to follow a coach with such a storied legacy. But, I followed a long-time coach at Air Force as well, so it's a little easier the second time around. I've got my own system and confidence in that system, but the pressure is still definitely there. Respect the legacy, continue it and yeah, go to work.

Letterwinners: What did you think of your first Brigade Boxing Championship?

Coach Baldi: The Brigades Championship was cool. Honestly, they're almost identical to what we did at Air Force. So there was nothing really earth shattering there. What really stood out for me was the Plebe Smoker. That's a special environment. Everybody's super fired up and it's so loud. The kids compete super hard. I'd heard about it for years from Coach McNally, but you never really understand until you experience it. The Plebe Smoker was definitely one of the highlights of my first year. 

Letterwinners: Liam McCarthy won the Boxer of the Tournament Award at the 2025 National Championship. How does he stack up with the best boxers you have coached?

Coach Baldi: He certainly meant a lot to the program. As one of our captains, he embodied what the program is and what it means. He fought through a lot of adversity in his senior year. He had some losses in the fall semester, broke his nose pretty badly in November, and had a plebe push him pretty hard in his weight class. At Brigade finals, he got knocked down in the first round, had to get up, and grit out a very close win. He went on to have a great spring semester and won at nationals. Liam just embodies the resilience we need in future officers and he's going to be a great Marine pilot. His big heart and determination helped him get that national championship.

Letterwinners: Erin Nicastro was your one female national champion. What did she mean to your team?

Coach Baldi: Erin is one of the best women boxers I've had the pleasure of being around. She was a true leader and the most vocal of our team captains. She has an intuitive understanding of how to lead people, asks a lot of them, demands accountability, demands hard work, and expects the same of herself. She was a tremendous asset to me and the entire coaching staff this year. Her service assignment is Marine Ground and I have no doubt that she will have amazing success in her role as a Marine leader.

Letterwinners: Before coaching at Air Force, you worked for USA Boxing. Can you talk to us about that experience and how it has helped your coaching career?

Coach Baldi: I had just one year with USA boxing. I was the national team manager specifically for what was called the World Series boxing team. It's a semi-pro boxing league and I was fortunate to be around the best athletes in the country. We traveled all over the world and I got to connect with some of the best coaches in our nation. It was an incredible opportunity to see athletes who were preparing for the Olympic Games.

Letterwinners: What do you want the Navy Alumni to know about your program?

Coach Baldi: Our number one goal is to create warfighters and officers who are ready to serve in the Navy and Marine Corps. That will always be number one for us as a staff. Number two is to continue the success of Navy boxing in the NCBA. We will continue to use boxing to help develop the midshipmen's professional and leadership skills. We are an officer development first team.

The Navy Letterwinners Association would like to congratulate all of Navy's individual boxing national champions: Steve Brunache '26, Camryn Delay '25, EJ Hagins '25, Justin Kirkpatrick '25, Liam McCarthy '25, and Erin Nicastro '25.