Townsend spent his first season as a reliever for Rice, which went to the College World Series and finished second in the nation in ERA.
Townsend, Philip Humber, and Jeff Niemann were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft - the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft [REF].Townsend and the Orioles, however, did not agree to contract terms.