LOS ANGELES - UCLA baseball's Nick Kern has been named the 2017 Muscle Milk Male "Athlete of the Year," as announced at the CPSDA Annual Conference Awards Banquet.

The Muscle Milk "Athlete of the Year" Award recognizes one male and one female collegiate, Olympic, professional or tactical (military, police or fire) athlete whose athletic accomplishments, in the opinion of the sports dietitian, reflect dedication to sports nutrition. Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) members nominate one or more athletes who represent the very best of sports nutrition.

Kern demonstrated an outstanding commitment to sports nutrition after missing the entire 2016 season due to being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He went through five surgeries and weighed just 155 pounds after spending almost two months in the hospital. Through hard work, determination and a strict diet, Kern slowly built his strength back up to his playing weight of over 190 pounds and returned to the field to play in the 2017 season.

In his first at-bat back in two years, Kern would hit a double against San Jose State. He also hit his first home run in three years against No. 1 Oregon State in the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings. Kern played in 20 games this season, making seven starts, and hit .219 with six RBIs and eight runs. Kern is also a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection who made 69 appearances on the mound and on the field in his career.