Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raider Profile: Ben Flora
October 11, 2010 | Baseball
Oct. 11, 2010
Red Raider Profile - Ben Flora | 
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LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech baseball team's fall season is underway, and throughout the remainder of the semester Texas Tech Athletics Communications will take an inside look into the Tech program with Red Raider Profiles on each player.
Ben Flora (LHP - 5-11, 175 - L/L - Jr./2L - Plano, Texas/Plano West)
Ben Flora returns for his junior season at Texas Tech as the most experienced pitcher on the Red Raider staff. He tied for the team lead with 25 appearances last season and made six starts on the mound. He finished his sophomore campaign with a 3-3 record and a 5.11 ERA in 37.0 innings while striking out 36 batters and issuing 15 walks.
Flora started last season as a main option out of the Red Raider bullpen as he made 16 appearances pitching no more than 2.0 innings between opening day and April 14 with only one start in-between (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - March 24).
Then Texas Tech head coach Dan Spencer noticed Flora's ability to also pitch in a starter's role. He made five starts during the final month of the season which included all but three of his appearances. In fact, Flora's last two starts of the season saw him throw over 80 pitches. He tossed over 30 pitches only twice during the first two months of the season.
All three of Flora's victories came against midweek opponents (Dallas Baptist, UNLV, Alabama A&M) and his final outing of the season - in a start against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championships - saw him strikeout a career-high six batters.
"Ben has really progressed," Spencer said. "He was a player of the year coming out of high school and then came here and struggled as a freshmen - which a lot of guys do. And then last year got really consistent for us.
"The last five games he really kept us in some games. We don't know exactly what role we are going to use him in this year, but we are excited to have him. He is one of a few guys who have experience on the mound."
Flora made eight appearances throwing multiple innings, including his final start against the Aggies where he threw a season-high 5.1 innings without walking a batter.
