DR. KRISTEN NICHOLSON
Biomechanist - Pitching Lab Director
Kristen Nicholson, PhD, joined the pitching lab staff in October 2018 as the director of the lab and lead of biomechanics research. She earned her undergraduate in Mathematical Science from Clemson University and her MS and PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware. Dr. Nicholson wrote her dissertation on a mathematical model for measuring scapular motion and became an expert in upper extremity biomechanics. While at the University of Delaware, Dr. Nicholson was the project lead on a collaborative project between US Figure Skating, the University of Delaware, and C-Motion (a biomechanical analysis company). The project was designed to facilitate the performance of triple and quad revolution jumps by Olympic and pre-Olympic skaters.
Dr. Nicholson has worked as a biomechanical research engineer at Nemours/A. I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington Delaware. During that time she augmented her clinical skills while developing her own research interests. She earned an ACCEL Mentored Research Development Award and subsequently secured grant funding from the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Nicholson has a particular interest in the development of non-invasive tools and methods for assessing kinematics and implementing scapular kinematics in baseball pitching.
Dr. Nicholson is currently an Assistant Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has over 20 academic presentations, 15 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, and a book chapter. She is looking forward to leading research in the pitching lab.
Originally from Clover, South Carolina, Dr. Nicholson now resides in Winston Salem with her husband Jefferson.
Biomechanist - Pitching Lab Director
Kristen Nicholson, PhD, joined the pitching lab staff in October 2018 as the director of the lab and lead of biomechanics research. She earned her undergraduate in Mathematical Science from Clemson University and her MS and PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware. Dr. Nicholson wrote her dissertation on a mathematical model for measuring scapular motion and became an expert in upper extremity biomechanics. While at the University of Delaware, Dr. Nicholson was the project lead on a collaborative project between US Figure Skating, the University of Delaware, and C-Motion (a biomechanical analysis company). The project was designed to facilitate the performance of triple and quad revolution jumps by Olympic and pre-Olympic skaters.
Dr. Nicholson has worked as a biomechanical research engineer at Nemours/A. I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington Delaware. During that time she augmented her clinical skills while developing her own research interests. She earned an ACCEL Mentored Research Development Award and subsequently secured grant funding from the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Nicholson has a particular interest in the development of non-invasive tools and methods for assessing kinematics and implementing scapular kinematics in baseball pitching.
Dr. Nicholson is currently an Assistant Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has over 20 academic presentations, 15 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, and a book chapter. She is looking forward to leading research in the pitching lab.
Originally from Clover, South Carolina, Dr. Nicholson now resides in Winston Salem with her husband Jefferson.
Mike McFerran
Wake Forest Pitching Lab Coordinator & Director of Player Development
McFerran joined the Wake Forest Baseball program in 2021 as the Pitching Lab Coordinator and Director of Player Development. McFerran’s role serves to interpret and define the developmental direction of throwing athletes in collaboration with coaching and support staff, while using the advancement of data and technology to maximize their performance and minimize their risk of injury.
McFerran is also responsible in heading the successful Bridge Seminar at Wake Forest, an offseason weekend event designed to help professionals in all silos of the game to collaborate better on how they can use the newest advancements in science, data, and technology to develop athletes.
Prior to Wake Forest, McFerran served as the Associate Head Coach, Pitching Coach, & Recruiting Coordinator at Skidmore College from 2017-2020.
In 2019 and 2020, McFerran was the pitching coach of the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate League, highlighted by a PGCBL Championship in his first season.
Additionally, McFerran was a pitching development coach at the Hayner Brother's Baseball Academy from 2019-21 where he developed individual athletes whose skill levels ranged from high school to professional.
McFerran is a native of Lake George, N.Y.
Wake Forest Pitching Lab Coordinator & Director of Player Development
McFerran joined the Wake Forest Baseball program in 2021 as the Pitching Lab Coordinator and Director of Player Development. McFerran’s role serves to interpret and define the developmental direction of throwing athletes in collaboration with coaching and support staff, while using the advancement of data and technology to maximize their performance and minimize their risk of injury.
McFerran is also responsible in heading the successful Bridge Seminar at Wake Forest, an offseason weekend event designed to help professionals in all silos of the game to collaborate better on how they can use the newest advancements in science, data, and technology to develop athletes.
Prior to Wake Forest, McFerran served as the Associate Head Coach, Pitching Coach, & Recruiting Coordinator at Skidmore College from 2017-2020.
In 2019 and 2020, McFerran was the pitching coach of the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate League, highlighted by a PGCBL Championship in his first season.
Additionally, McFerran was a pitching development coach at the Hayner Brother's Baseball Academy from 2019-21 where he developed individual athletes whose skill levels ranged from high school to professional.
McFerran is a native of Lake George, N.Y.
Garret Bullock, PT, DPT, DPhil
Physical Therapist and Quantitative Epidemiologist
Dr. Bullock was a 4 year letter winning and Captain baseball player at Wake Forest University from 2006 to 2008 before moving on to the professional ranks through 2014. Dr. Bullock received a DPT from Duke University and a Clarendon Scholar DPhil in Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics from the University of Oxford. Dr. Bullock is now a member of the Wake Forest School of Medicine's faculty and an honorary member of the United Kingdom Centre for Sport, Exercise, and Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis.
Dr. Bullock's research focuses on developing clinically relevant research with immediate application in orthopaedic and sports medicine. His research focuses on risk and risk mitigation, the impact of exercise and sport across patients lifespan, and the impact of clinical decisions on patient care. Through both consulting and academic projects, Dr. Bullock has worked with a number of national and international professional athlete organizations and leagues.
Physical Therapist and Quantitative Epidemiologist
Dr. Bullock was a 4 year letter winning and Captain baseball player at Wake Forest University from 2006 to 2008 before moving on to the professional ranks through 2014. Dr. Bullock received a DPT from Duke University and a Clarendon Scholar DPhil in Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics from the University of Oxford. Dr. Bullock is now a member of the Wake Forest School of Medicine's faculty and an honorary member of the United Kingdom Centre for Sport, Exercise, and Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis.
Dr. Bullock's research focuses on developing clinically relevant research with immediate application in orthopaedic and sports medicine. His research focuses on risk and risk mitigation, the impact of exercise and sport across patients lifespan, and the impact of clinical decisions on patient care. Through both consulting and academic projects, Dr. Bullock has worked with a number of national and international professional athlete organizations and leagues.
BRIAN WATERMAN
Team Doctor
Dr. Brian Waterman is a board-certified, former military orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, cartilage restoration, and shoulder and elbow care. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and graduated with his medical doctorate from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Waterman subsequently performed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery through the U.S. Army at the combined program of William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Waterman performed his fellowship training with the renowned Sports Medicine program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He has served as a team physician for the Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago White Sox (MLB), Chicago Fire (MLS), and Chicago Steel (USHL). He previously received additional training in complex knee, shoulder, and elbow reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic, and he been selected for the prestigious American Orthopaedic Association North American Traveling Fellowship and Arthroscopy Association of North America’s (AANA) Advanced Arthroscopy Traveling Fellowship.
A 13-year military veteran, Dr. Waterman has served his country with distinction, earning multiple honors including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal. He previously completed a combat deployment with the 28th Combat Support Hospital to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of the 8th Marine Regiment from Camp Lejeune, NC and a multinational force from Jordan and Afghanistan. Dr. Waterman is committed to graduate medical education and clinical and translational research. He has previously served as Director of Orthopaedic Research in Texas, and he holds faculty appointments at WBAMC, Texas Tech University, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Waterman is currently an Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, 20 book chapters, and received the institutional award at WBAMC for Researcher of the Year on three separate occasions. He is on the editorial board of the Arthroscopy Journal and American Journal of Orthopaedics. He serves on multiple committees through American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS), Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS), and AANA, in addition to being a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES).
Dr. Waterman truly enjoys quality time traveling and hiking with his wife, Sarah, a historical fiction author, and their dog, Gilbert. As a former intercollegiate soccer athlete at Elon University, Dr. Waterman is enthusiastic about all things sports and fitness-related. He looks forward to caring for Atlantic Coast Conference athletes as a member of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Sports Medicine group.
Team Doctor
Dr. Brian Waterman is a board-certified, former military orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, cartilage restoration, and shoulder and elbow care. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and graduated with his medical doctorate from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Waterman subsequently performed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery through the U.S. Army at the combined program of William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Waterman performed his fellowship training with the renowned Sports Medicine program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He has served as a team physician for the Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago White Sox (MLB), Chicago Fire (MLS), and Chicago Steel (USHL). He previously received additional training in complex knee, shoulder, and elbow reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic, and he been selected for the prestigious American Orthopaedic Association North American Traveling Fellowship and Arthroscopy Association of North America’s (AANA) Advanced Arthroscopy Traveling Fellowship.
A 13-year military veteran, Dr. Waterman has served his country with distinction, earning multiple honors including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal. He previously completed a combat deployment with the 28th Combat Support Hospital to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of the 8th Marine Regiment from Camp Lejeune, NC and a multinational force from Jordan and Afghanistan. Dr. Waterman is committed to graduate medical education and clinical and translational research. He has previously served as Director of Orthopaedic Research in Texas, and he holds faculty appointments at WBAMC, Texas Tech University, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Waterman is currently an Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, 20 book chapters, and received the institutional award at WBAMC for Researcher of the Year on three separate occasions. He is on the editorial board of the Arthroscopy Journal and American Journal of Orthopaedics. He serves on multiple committees through American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS), Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS), and AANA, in addition to being a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES).
Dr. Waterman truly enjoys quality time traveling and hiking with his wife, Sarah, a historical fiction author, and their dog, Gilbert. As a former intercollegiate soccer athlete at Elon University, Dr. Waterman is enthusiastic about all things sports and fitness-related. He looks forward to caring for Atlantic Coast Conference athletes as a member of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Sports Medicine group.
COREY MUSCARA
Wake Forest University Pitching Coach
Muscara comes to Winston-Salem with over a decade of collegiate coaching experience, elevating multiple program’s pitching staffs to new heights. Under Muscara’s leadership, his teams have finished in the top 10 in ERA and strikeouts on the conference and national level on several occasions, while developing numerous MLB draft prospects at every stop throughout his career.
Most recently, Muscara served as Maryland’s pitching coach for the previous four seasons. In 2021, the Terps’ pitching staff registered a team ERA of 4.76, the fifth-best in the Big Ten and their lowest mark during Muscara’s tenure. The success on the mound was crucial to the team's overall success as Maryland won multiple NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2015, defeating Norfolk State and Charlotte in back-to-back games at the Greenville Regional.
In 2020, Maryland earned a program record seventh-best recruiting class in the country, highlighted by Muscara’s efforts to secure a number of highly-regarded pitchers.
He tutored Hunter Parsons to Third Team All-Big Ten accolades in 2019 as the right hander led the conference with nine wins before. Parsons went on to be drafted in the 19th round by the New York Mets and is currently in the High-A affiliate within the organization.
During the 2013-17 seasons, Muscara coached four All-Americans, two Freshman All-Americans and three-straight BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honorees as an assistant at St. John’s. Nine of Muscara’s Red Storm hurlers were selected in the MLB Draft during his tenure, while a duo signed free agent minor league deals.
St. John’s posted the eighth-lowest team ERA in the country during the 2017 campaign while fanning a conference-best 406 batters during Muscara’s second season in 2014. As a team, the Red Storm made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2017.
Prior to St. John’s, Muscara was an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire during a historic 2012 season as the program advanced to the College World Series and won a school-record 43 games. On the hill, his pitching staff led the nation in ERA (2.41) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.3). He also served as the recruiting coordinator.
Muscara began his coaching career at Southern New Hampshire in 2010 before moving onto Binghamton for the 2011 campaign.
As a player, Muscara played his final two seasons at Franklin Pierce and was named a team captain during his senior campaign in 2009. Franklin Pierce captured the Northeast-10 tournament both of Muscara’s seasons and secured a 2008 NCAA Regional title. He had previously spent three seasons at Siena, earning letters in 2005 and 2007.
Muscara graduated from Franklin Pierce with a degree in history in 2009. He and his wife Suzie have two sons, Theodore and Thomas.
Wake Forest University Pitching Coach
Muscara comes to Winston-Salem with over a decade of collegiate coaching experience, elevating multiple program’s pitching staffs to new heights. Under Muscara’s leadership, his teams have finished in the top 10 in ERA and strikeouts on the conference and national level on several occasions, while developing numerous MLB draft prospects at every stop throughout his career.
Most recently, Muscara served as Maryland’s pitching coach for the previous four seasons. In 2021, the Terps’ pitching staff registered a team ERA of 4.76, the fifth-best in the Big Ten and their lowest mark during Muscara’s tenure. The success on the mound was crucial to the team's overall success as Maryland won multiple NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2015, defeating Norfolk State and Charlotte in back-to-back games at the Greenville Regional.
In 2020, Maryland earned a program record seventh-best recruiting class in the country, highlighted by Muscara’s efforts to secure a number of highly-regarded pitchers.
He tutored Hunter Parsons to Third Team All-Big Ten accolades in 2019 as the right hander led the conference with nine wins before. Parsons went on to be drafted in the 19th round by the New York Mets and is currently in the High-A affiliate within the organization.
During the 2013-17 seasons, Muscara coached four All-Americans, two Freshman All-Americans and three-straight BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honorees as an assistant at St. John’s. Nine of Muscara’s Red Storm hurlers were selected in the MLB Draft during his tenure, while a duo signed free agent minor league deals.
St. John’s posted the eighth-lowest team ERA in the country during the 2017 campaign while fanning a conference-best 406 batters during Muscara’s second season in 2014. As a team, the Red Storm made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2017.
Prior to St. John’s, Muscara was an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire during a historic 2012 season as the program advanced to the College World Series and won a school-record 43 games. On the hill, his pitching staff led the nation in ERA (2.41) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.3). He also served as the recruiting coordinator.
Muscara began his coaching career at Southern New Hampshire in 2010 before moving onto Binghamton for the 2011 campaign.
As a player, Muscara played his final two seasons at Franklin Pierce and was named a team captain during his senior campaign in 2009. Franklin Pierce captured the Northeast-10 tournament both of Muscara’s seasons and secured a 2008 NCAA Regional title. He had previously spent three seasons at Siena, earning letters in 2005 and 2007.
Muscara graduated from Franklin Pierce with a degree in history in 2009. He and his wife Suzie have two sons, Theodore and Thomas.
JEFF STRAHM
Wake Forest Baseball Athletic Trainer
Jeff Strahm is in his 21st year in 2018-19 with the Sports Medicine Department, working as the head athletic trainer for the Wake Forest baseball team. He is responsible for the team's day to day care including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries.
Strahm has been the head baseball athletic trainer since coming to Wake Forest in 1998 and has been instrumental in the team's run of six NCAA appearances and two Atlantic Coast Conference championships. While at Wake Forest he also worked three years with the men's soccer program and four years with the women's volleyball program.
Strahm graduated from Kansas State University in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology while working as an athletic trainer for the football, basketball, and baseball teams. While at Kansas State he gained valuable experience under the tutelage of head athletic trainer Jim Whalen, now of the New England Patriots.
Strahm is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Medicine Association, and the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association.
He and his wife Sarah have three children, son Levi, and daughters Taryn and Cambry.
Wake Forest Baseball Athletic Trainer
Jeff Strahm is in his 21st year in 2018-19 with the Sports Medicine Department, working as the head athletic trainer for the Wake Forest baseball team. He is responsible for the team's day to day care including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries.
Strahm has been the head baseball athletic trainer since coming to Wake Forest in 1998 and has been instrumental in the team's run of six NCAA appearances and two Atlantic Coast Conference championships. While at Wake Forest he also worked three years with the men's soccer program and four years with the women's volleyball program.
Strahm graduated from Kansas State University in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology while working as an athletic trainer for the football, basketball, and baseball teams. While at Kansas State he gained valuable experience under the tutelage of head athletic trainer Jim Whalen, now of the New England Patriots.
Strahm is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Medicine Association, and the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association.
He and his wife Sarah have three children, son Levi, and daughters Taryn and Cambry.
MARK SEAVER
Wake Forest Baseball Strength Coach
Mark Seaver is in his 13th season at Wake Forest in 2018-19, serving as Coordinator of Sports Performance. Seaver works primarily with the Demon Deacon baseball, women's golf, and volleyball programs.
Seaver was a pitcher on the Wake Forest baseball team from 1993-96. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played professionally in the minor leagues for six seasons.
Seaver finished his degree in health and exercise science from Wake Forest in 2003.
Seaver is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).
Originally from Pittsburgh, Seaver currently resides in Winston-Salem with his wife, Kelly, and their daughter Emily and son Kade.
Wake Forest Baseball Strength Coach
Mark Seaver is in his 13th season at Wake Forest in 2018-19, serving as Coordinator of Sports Performance. Seaver works primarily with the Demon Deacon baseball, women's golf, and volleyball programs.
Seaver was a pitcher on the Wake Forest baseball team from 1993-96. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played professionally in the minor leagues for six seasons.
Seaver finished his degree in health and exercise science from Wake Forest in 2003.
Seaver is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).
Originally from Pittsburgh, Seaver currently resides in Winston-Salem with his wife, Kelly, and their daughter Emily and son Kade.