MEET THE TEAM.
Built on one idea - surround athletes with people who've actually been there.
ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI
FOUNDER · HEAD PITCHING COACH
Interested in working with Asher?
Asher Wojciechowski is the founder of JourneyFar Performance and a former Major League pitcher.
At The Citadel, Asher's career was one of the most decorated in Bulldogs history. As a junior in 2010, he was named Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year, a consensus All-American, and a Golden Spikes Award nominee — finishing 2nd in all of NCAA Division I in strikeouts (155) and leading the conference in wins, complete games, innings pitched, and strikeouts. He closed out his college career with 308 strikeouts (third all-time at The Citadel), a stint with the USA Collegiate National Team, and induction into The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. That June, the Toronto Blue Jays made him the 41st overall pick in the MLB Draft — the highest in Citadel history.
Over the next 12 years, Asher pitched in the Majors for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees, with stops across ten professional organizations. He racked up 195 career MLB strikeouts over 202 innings — a 22% strikeout rate — and during his 2019 run with Baltimore, he ranked first in all of MLB in chase rate, third in swinging-strike percentage, and ninth in strikeouts per nine among starters.
His career game came on July 21, 2019, when he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards — finishing with 10 strikeouts over 7.1 shutout innings. That summer, his 54 strikeouts over his first nine Orioles starts ranked fifth-most in franchise history since 1954, and his 1.02 ERA in three starts against Boston was the lowest by any pitcher against the Red Sox in nearly half a decade.
Today, Asher mentors pitchers out of JourneyFar's facility in Charleston, SC — built to give the next generation what he wished he'd had: real mentorship, MLB-level training, and a coach who's actually been there.
BRANDON MCILWAIN
HITTING | QUARTERBACK DEVELOPMENT | MINDSET TRAINING
Interested in working with Brandon?
Brandon McIlwain is a former D1 dual-sport athlete who played quarterback and centerfield at the University of South Carolina and the University of California, Berkeley.
In high school, Brandon was one of the most decorated dual-sport athletes in the country — a 2015 Perfect Game All-American in baseball and the 2015 Pennsylvania Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Professionally, he spent four years in the New York Mets organization and played the 2025 season in the Italian Baseball League. He also holds a Master's degree in Sport Education from the University of Miami and works in athletic mindset coaching and player development.
As a quarterback coach, Brandon focuses on confidence, decision-making, mechanics, leadership, and composure under pressure. His experience as a starting quarterback at South Carolina and Cal — and as one of the nation's top-ranked high school quarterbacks — allows him to connect with athletes striving to elevate their game both mentally and physically.
As a hitting coach, Brandon combines professional-level knowledge with a player-first approach that emphasizes consistency, approach, timing, and mental preparation. His goal is to help athletes not only improve performance, but build the mindset and habits required for long-term success.
Whether you're looking to sharpen your quarterback skills, improve your hitting, or develop the mindset of a high-level competitor, Brandon brings professional experience, energy, and mentorship to every session.
DJ JOHNSON
PITCHING COACH
Interested in working with DJ?
DJ Johnson is a former Major League pitcher whose career is proof that the draft doesn’t decide who makes it. A 6'4" right-hander from Beaverton, Oregon, DJ went undrafted and signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010. Over the next eight years he pitched his way through five organizations — the Rays, Diamondbacks, Twins, Angels, and Rockies — before making his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies on September 9, 2018, at age 29. The following spring he earned a spot on the Rockies’ Opening Day roster.
DJ went on to pitch in the majors for the Rockies, Cleveland Indians, and Tampa Bay Rays, and spent two seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. In all, his career spanned 15 professional seasons and more than 400 appearances across MLB, NPB, and the minor leagues.
That path required a long-term commitment to development: velocity built over years, not weeks, and a willingness to keep adjusting when the easy answers ran out. It’s the same approach DJ brings to every athlete at JourneyFar, where he runs Trackman bullpens and works with pitchers at every level, from 11-year-olds learning to throw with intent to college and pro arms preparing for the next season.
CODY MINCEY
PITCHING COACH
Interested in working with Cody?
Cody Mincey is a former professional pitcher and Pitching Coach at JourneyFar Performance.
A right-hander from Hartsville, South Carolina, Cody pitched at Spartanburg Methodist College before transferring to the University of South Carolina, where he was a key late-inning arm for a top-five Gamecocks team.
His professional career spanned more than a decade and took him across the Frontier League, Atlantic League, and American Association, with international stops in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Curaçao, New Zealand, and Australia, before the Miami Marlins signed him and he pitched at High-A and Double-A.
Cody has coached nearly as long as he’s played. He served as head coach at Colleton Prep Academy, as Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director at Jefferson Davis Academy, and owned and operated his own training facility before signing with the Marlins.
Having lived the successes and setbacks of professional baseball, Cody knows development goes well beyond mechanics. He emphasizes discipline, confidence, and accountability, and tailors his approach to each athlete’s path.
His goal at JourneyFar is simple: develop strong athletes, build strong minds, and help young men become the best versions of themselves.
