As a high school baseball player, it can be very tempting to think that all big leaguers played at big-time, Division I universities. However, several very successful MLB players have taken a different route. Everyone's growth timeline looks different. The most important thing to remember is to stay committed to the process and realize the journey is a marathon, not a sprint. In this article, I will list seven super successful MLB players who went to small colleges.

1. Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander went to Old Dominion University and played college baseball for the Monarchs. During his tenure at ODU, Verlander broke the school and the conference strikeout record. He had a career 2.57 ERA and notched 21 total wins. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2004 with the second overall pick.

2. Jeremy Pena

Jeremy Pena attended the University of Maine where he played ball for the Black Bears. At the University of Maine, Jeremy started in 163 games and put together solid numbers. As a junior, he batted .308 and slugged five home runs. After the season, he was drafted by the Astros in the third round.

3. Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper's college career is unique in that he attended college when most of his peers were entering their junior year of high school. Harper enrolled in the College of Southern Nevada as a 17-year-old and won the Golden Spikes Award in 2010. After his remarkable season, he was selected by the Nationals with the first overall pick. 

4. Kevin Kiermaier

Kiermaier played baseball for the Parkland College Cobras in Illinois. As a freshman, Kevin won the National Junior College World Series with his team. He was named MVP of the World Series and set a tournament record with 12 RBIs. After his season with the Cobras, he was drafted in the 31st round by the Tampa Bay Rays.

5. Albert Pujols (Maple Woods CC)

MLB Legend Albert Pujols started his college career at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri. In his only college season, Albert batted .466 with 22 home runs! After his season, he was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round. 

6. Ozzie Smith

After high school, Ozzie Smith attended Cal Polytechnic State University and managed to walk on to the baseball team. As a walk-on, Ozzie set the school record for stolen bases (110) and at-bats (754). He also led the team to a berth in the Division II Championship tournament.

7. Lorenzo Cain

Cain attended Tallahassee Community College, the only school to give him a chance to play college baseball. After a year in college, Cain was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 2004 MLB Draft.

Image Credit: @ODUBaseball/Twitter / College of Southern Nevada Athletics / Tony Hertz/The Tribune / University of Maine Athletics